Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted April 29, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 29, 2017 Sorry Zant, I have no idea how the amber was highlighted, I copied the link from our bank of useful links! I will edit it. thank you for mentioning it, it must be confusing a lot of people! **I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge. Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem) 1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat 2002 effexor. Tapered March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads. Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013 Restarted taper Nov 2013 OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015 Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014 Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg July 2017 30mg. May 15 2018 25mg Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33 Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted April 29, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 29, 2017 This should be the link, this is from page 1. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/53-tips-to-help-sleep-so-many-of-us-have-that-awful-withdrawal-insomnia/page-1 **I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge. Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem) 1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat 2002 effexor. Tapered March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads. Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013 Restarted taper Nov 2013 OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015 Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014 Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg July 2017 30mg. May 15 2018 25mg Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33 Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible Link to comment
Zant808 Posted April 30, 2017 Author Share Posted April 30, 2017 Sorry Zant, I have no idea how the amber was highlighted, I copied the link from our bank of useful links! I will edit it. thank you for mentioning it, it must be confusing a lot of people! Ok, thanks mammaP. I only got an hour of sleep again last night, so I'm gonna go read the whole thread tonight. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Zant808 Posted May 1, 2017 Author Share Posted May 1, 2017 I got 4 hours of sleep but I feel extreme anxiety and cannot focus on anything. I have a crawling sensation going throughout my skull. Is this acute withdrawal from the Klonopin? I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Zant808 Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 Here are my sleep amounts since reducing from 2.375 mg of Klonopin to 2.25 mg of Klonopin: 4/9/2017 - 16 to 20 hours 4/10/2017 - 6 hours 4/11/2017 - 6 hours 4/12/2017 - 6 hours 4/13/2017 - 6 hours 4/14/2017 - 6 hours 4/15/2017 - 6 hours 4/16/2017 - 6 hours 4/17/2017 - 6 hours 4/18/2017 - 12 to 16 hours 4/19/2017 - 12 to 16 hours 4/20/2017 - 12 to 16 hours 4/21/2017 - 6 hours 4/22/2017 - 3 hours 4/23/2017 - 4 hours 4/24/2017 - 4 hours 4/25/2017 - 1 hour 4/26/2017 - 6 hours 4/27/2017 - 1 hour 4/28/2017 - 4 hours 4/29/2017 - 4 hours 4/30/2017 - 1 hour I'm feeling paranoid and I've got myoclonic and hypnic jerks now. Why is this happening? I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Zant808 Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 I only got 2 hours of sleep last night. I don't want to wind up in the hospital for a third summer in a row because I'm trying to come off meds. I'm going to updose to 2.5 mg and probably all the way back up to 3 mg and hope I can sleep at least 6 hours per night and take naps again. I've tried everything but it's an impossible task to come off of psychiatric medications. I'm mentally ill because of psychiatric medications but the psychiatric medications I'm on now are the only things known in the world that can put me to sleep. I'm throwing in the towel. I quit. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Madeleine Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 There's a book called "say goodnight to insomnia" that had many tips that helped me. You might find it useful too. 200 Zoloft; 10 mg Zyprexa; 4 mg valium as of May 2021; Valium taper: July 16: 3.5 valium; July 30: 3 mg (paused valium taper); Aug. 23: 2.5 mg Zyprexa: July 26: 8.75 mg; Aug. 9: 7.5 mg; Aug. 30: 7.1 mg ------- Dec 1, 2016. 10 mg zyprexa for 1.5 month. Started taper mid-Jan. 2017. Cut 1.25 mg every 2 weeks; smaller cuts 2.5 mg down. Stopped at .6 mg. May 7, 2017: zyprexa free. Zoloft: Dec1, 2016, 200 mg. Started taper: Jun12, 2017: 197.5 mg; Jun19,:195 mg; July 2:185mg; July 9,:180 mg; July16,: 175; July 23: 170; July 30: 165; Aug6: 160; Aug13: 155; Aug. 20: 150; Aug.27: 146 mg; Sept3: 145 mg; Sept10:143 mg; Sept17:140 mg....Nov5: 122 mg...Dec3:112.5 mg; Jan14, 2018: 95 mg...Jan28: 90 mg; Feb21:80 mg; Mar11: 75 mg; May2:70 mg; May15: 68 mg; May28: 65 mg; Jun9: 62 mg;Jun25: 60 mg:July22: 55 mg; Aug25: 45 mg. Aug28: 50 mg...Oct 28: 38 mg; Dec.4: 30 mg; Jan8,2019: 25mg; Feb6: 23.5 mg; Apr1:17.5mg; May1:1 mg; May 5: 18; May 18:15mg; June 16:12.5mg; Sept 10:11 mg; Sept.16:10 mg; Oct. 1: 9mg; Nov. 27: 8mg; Dec.5: 7mg; Jan.1,2020, 6 mg; Feb1: 5 mg; May 1: 2.5 mg; Jn 1: 2 mg; Jy 1: 1.5 mg Link to comment
Zant808 Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 There's a book called "say goodnight to insomnia" that had many tips that helped me. You might find it useful too. I have that book as well. It has been a while since I read it though. Maybe I can try again. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Zant808 Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 Yesterday, I tried to go out for pizza and I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. I took .25 mg of Xanax when I came home and that helped a little bit. I am afraid to stay up all night like I usually do, so I took all my medications at midnight. I updosed to 2.5 mg of Klonopin. I only got 2 hours of sleep before I had to use the restroom. When I tried to go back to sleep I'm not sure if I got anymore sleep or just laid there. It kind of felt like I was half asleep and half awake with strange nightmares. Please let me stabilize soon. I regret trying to come off the medications again. I'm too weak to come off meds but I just don't want to end up in the psychiatric hospital again or end up homeless. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Zant808 Posted May 4, 2017 Author Share Posted May 4, 2017 I'm at my breaking point already. What can I do to calm myself so I don't end up in the hospital? I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Shep Posted May 4, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 4, 2017 Zant, I received your PM, but am going to answer on your Intro thread, as you are once again mentioning going back into the hospital. And this is a repeated pattern. I'm sorry for the loss of your grandmother. Dealing with grief during withdrawal is very, very difficult and compounds symptoms enormously. Do you have access to an in-person support group that may help you deal with your grief? It's unlikely a hospital will provide that, but there are resources for this outside of a hospital, if you think this might help. If you think a hospital will help and you are literally "at your breaking point" (i.e. thinking of harming yourself), then please do go and stay safe. However, you have a pattern of having two or three nights of poor sleep, having lots of catastrophic thoughts, going inpatient and getting on more drugs, and then coming here expecting us to help you taper off. Please note the forum rules for being a good candidate for coming off psychiatric drugs on an on-line forum environment: your ability to self-manage We aren't equipped to handle this type of repeated, self-generated drama. Your thread is full of links to non-drug coping strategies for sleep and other symptoms. Please re-read what we've written. If you aren't willing to find ways of self-soothing to get you through these difficult nights of insomnia, there's not a lot we can do for you. You may want to seek online support through other websites, such as depressionforums.org or patientslikeme.com. These sites are about managing your drugs, as opposed to tapering off them. You may also want to look into NAMI groups, as they are also for helping people manage symptoms while taking psychiatric drugs. I'm hoping at some point you are able to un-patient yourself and get away from the mental health system, but you are going to have to do the work. If you do learn these non-drug coping skills and really make them a part of your life, over time, you'll find you don't need drugs. But again, we can't do this work for you. Link to comment
Zant808 Posted May 4, 2017 Author Share Posted May 4, 2017 Zant, I received your PM, but am going to answer on your Intro thread, as you are once again mentioning going back into the hospital. And this is a repeated pattern. I'm sorry for the loss of your grandmother. Dealing with grief during withdrawal is very, very difficult and compounds symptoms enormously. Do you have access to an in-person support group that may help you deal with your grief? It's unlikely a hospital will provide that, but there are resources for this outside of a hospital, if you think this might help. If you think a hospital will help and you are literally "at your breaking point" (i.e. thinking of harming yourself), then please do go and stay safe. However, you have a pattern of having two or three nights of poor sleep, having lots of catastrophic thoughts, going inpatient and getting on more drugs, and then coming here expecting us to help you taper off. Please note the forum rules for being a good candidate for coming off psychiatric drugs on an on-line forum environment: your ability to self-manage We aren't equipped to handle this type of repeated, self-generated drama. Your thread is full of links to non-drug coping strategies for sleep and other symptoms. Please re-read what we've written. If you aren't willing to find ways of self-soothing to get you through these difficult nights of insomnia, there's not a lot we can do for you. You may want to seek online support through other websites, such as depressionforums.org or patientslikeme.com. These sites are about managing your drugs, as opposed to tapering off them. You may also want to look into NAMI groups, as they are also for helping people manage symptoms while taking psychiatric drugs. I'm hoping at some point you are able to un-patient yourself and get away from the mental health system, but you are going to have to do the work. If you do learn these non-drug coping skills and really make them a part of your life, over time, you'll find you don't need drugs. But again, we can't do this work for you. That makes sense Shep. I will re-read the thread completely and make my decision from there. Thank you for your response. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted May 4, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 4, 2017 Zant, Further to Shep's post, it's never a bad time to develop non-drug coping techniques. Another thought in alignment with Shep's: You've gone through an emotionally demanding time recently; it can take months for a person to feel "normal". It might not be the best time to have started a taper. I'm sorry I didn't think of that and post it sooner. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to 0.0 mg Aug. 12; details here scallywag's IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
Zant808 Posted May 5, 2017 Author Share Posted May 5, 2017 Zant, Further to Shep's post, it's never a bad time to develop non-drug coping techniques. Another thought in alignment with Shep's: You've gone through an emotionally demanding time recently; it can take months for a person to feel "normal". It might not be the best time to have started a taper. I'm sorry I didn't think of that and post it sooner. I'm seemingly more relaxed now after updosing back to 3 mg of Klonopin, although I'm only getting 3 hours of sleep. I do have quite a lot of time on my hands now, so I can certainly use that time towards non-drug coping techniques. I have to accept my own responsibility for what happened. I was in my usual state of mind where I rushed things. I never expected my grandmother to die from this given her past history of always overcoming everything bad that happened to her medically. Triggering events are most likely going to happen given the length of a withdrawal state and if I am not prepared to handle the emotions with coping skills, then I have no reason to try withdrawing again. I just hope I stabilize to around 6 - 8 hours of sleep per night and that I can stay out of the hospital. You have no reason to be sorry, you were always kind and helpful to me. Thank you. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Kiaza Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Zant how are you doing? I was also put on medication as a teenager. Long journey to recovery from this. I hope you can make it! Citalopram (Sepram): 2005 10mg, 2008 20mg, 2010 30mg, 2011 20mg, tapered 2012 for two months quit in August 2012, restarted Oct 2012 with 10mg, January 2013 20mg, February 2014 40mg, tapered in August 2014, quit in December 2014 Suprium: Oct 2012 50mg, cold turkey after one month, December 2015 50mg, quit March 2016 Xanax: Oct 2015 2mg used it when needed, quit November 2015 Opamox: January 2016 15mg 3x day, tapered in March 2016, quit April 2016 Tenox: 3 weeks in February 2016 cold turkey Lyrica: One month in Spring 2016 cold turkey Abilify: 2 weeks in Spring 2016 cold turkey Mirtazapine: June 2016 - mid April 2017 cold turkey Link to comment
Zant808 Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 Zant how are you doing? I was also put on medication as a teenager. Long journey to recovery from this. I hope you can make it! I've stabilized at around 6 hours of sleep per night now that I have updosed. But the past couple of days I have had either a really horrible cold or terrible allergies. The doctors really cannot determine what it is, so they have me taking both cold and allergy medicine. The thoughts of being on the psychiatric medications possibly forever still do not leave my mind. I am sorry you were put on medication as a teenager also. How are you doing with your taper? I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Kiaza Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Zant how are you doing? I was also put on medication as a teenager. Long journey to recovery from this. I hope you can make it! I've stabilized at around 6 hours of sleep per night now that I have updosed. But the past couple of days I have had either a really horrible cold or terrible allergies. The doctors really cannot determine what it is, so they have me taking both cold and allergy medicine. The thoughts of being on the psychiatric medications possibly forever still do not leave my mind. I am sorry you were put on medication as a teenager also. How are you doing with your taper? Not good. I have a constant feeling that I'm going to break any minute, that my body and mind can't go on much longer. It's awful! Citalopram (Sepram): 2005 10mg, 2008 20mg, 2010 30mg, 2011 20mg, tapered 2012 for two months quit in August 2012, restarted Oct 2012 with 10mg, January 2013 20mg, February 2014 40mg, tapered in August 2014, quit in December 2014 Suprium: Oct 2012 50mg, cold turkey after one month, December 2015 50mg, quit March 2016 Xanax: Oct 2015 2mg used it when needed, quit November 2015 Opamox: January 2016 15mg 3x day, tapered in March 2016, quit April 2016 Tenox: 3 weeks in February 2016 cold turkey Lyrica: One month in Spring 2016 cold turkey Abilify: 2 weeks in Spring 2016 cold turkey Mirtazapine: June 2016 - mid April 2017 cold turkey Link to comment
Zant808 Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 Zant how are you doing? I was also put on medication as a teenager. Long journey to recovery from this. I hope you can make it! I've stabilized at around 6 hours of sleep per night now that I have updosed. But the past couple of days I have had either a really horrible cold or terrible allergies. The doctors really cannot determine what it is, so they have me taking both cold and allergy medicine. The thoughts of being on the psychiatric medications possibly forever still do not leave my mind. I am sorry you were put on medication as a teenager also. How are you doing with your taper? Not good. I have a constant feeling that I'm going to break any minute, that my body and mind can't go on much longer. It's awful! I'm sorry you are not doing well. Looking at your signature I can see you've gone through a lot of cold turkey withdrawals. Are you just having bad initial reactions that is making you cold turkey them or are doctors making you cold turkey them? I know from personal experience Abilify was one of the worst things I ever took and I cold turkeyed it on my own because it was giving me akathisia and giving me strange visual hallucinations. I've recovered from bronchitis and helped my mother while she recovered from pneumonia this month. I'm in a zombie state now where I am sleeping too much and I cannot get anything accomplished. I've dropped from 1125 mg of Depakote Sprinkles to 1100 mg of Depakote Sprinkles to see if I can establish a proper balance between overly wired and being a zombie. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Zant808 Posted June 12, 2017 Author Share Posted June 12, 2017 I'm still trying to fight the zombie effect. I am cutting 25 mg every week until I reach the 1000 mg mark and then holding for a month. I am now at 1050 mg of Depakote Sprinkles. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Zant808 Posted June 17, 2017 Author Share Posted June 17, 2017 I still feel like a zombie every day. I am now at 1025 mg of Depakote Sprinkles. On 6/21/2017, it will mark one year since I went into an inpatient psychiatric hospital. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted June 18, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 18, 2017 Rotten that you're still feeling zombie-like, Zant. Please, please remember to keep your dose decreases of Depakote small and to hold between decreases for 3-4 weeks. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to 0.0 mg Aug. 12; details here scallywag's IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted June 18, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 18, 2017 There are a lot worse things than feeling like a zombie... The only way to get off the drugs is to learn to put up with our symptoms and states regardless of how uncomfortable they are. Instead of looking at the drug (and going up and down), this is a time to work on non drug coping skills. Acceptance is key. What non-drug coping skills are you practicing? Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Zant808 Posted August 30, 2017 Author Share Posted August 30, 2017 On 6/17/2017 at 8:50 PM, scallywag said: Rotten that you're still feeling zombie-like, Zant. Please, please remember to keep your dose decreases of Depakote small and to hold between decreases for 3-4 weeks. scallywag, I've felt mostly zombie-like for the whole summer. I managed to avoid hospitalization too. I've been doing really small decreases and long holds. I'm only down to 875 mg of Depakote Sprinkles and I have been holding at that dose for around 25 days now. On 6/18/2017 at 4:50 AM, bubble said: There are a lot worse things than feeling like a zombie... The only way to get off the drugs is to learn to put up with our symptoms and states regardless of how uncomfortable they are. Instead of looking at the drug (and going up and down), this is a time to work on non drug coping skills. Acceptance is key. What non-drug coping skills are you practicing? To cope with this, I've just been trying to live as much of a normal life as possible. I stopped taking all of those supplements. I've just been taking the meds and tried to stop thinking about what they could potentially do to me. I haven't drank any alcohol since May 2009. I've been doing a lot of internet work to the point where I've gotten myself out of debt and if I were truly healthy I'd be able to move out on my own again. I was able to go to a lot of concerts and eat just about anything I want. I took a road trip vacation by myself at the beginning of July and I was able to handle checking in and out of a different hotel and traveling to a different state every day. My sleep has mostly been good sometimes getting up to 14 hours per day. However, just this past week, things started feeling really strange again. My sleep has dipped down to 4 hours per night. I no longer feel like a zombie, but instead my senses feel heightened. If I nap in front of the TV, I feel like I'm trapped in some sort of half awake, half asleep state where I'm part of the TV show. It's so creepy and bizarre. There doesn't really seem to be much of an explanation as to why this is happening. I figured since I had worked to improve my life so drastically over the summer and tried to forget that I'm sick from these medications that I wouldn't be hit with these sleep problems until I did another dose reduction in September. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted August 30, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 30, 2017 You might have overdone things... We just have to pace ourselves a lot. Leading a 'normal' life is often too much for us to handle. by coping skills I meant something like introduction of meditation, breathing exercises and some gentle mindful physical activity that would help you ground in moments like this. (sleeping in front of a TV is bad for our nerves as well as spending time around electronics in general). I'm impressed with how well you have done and I believe you will continue to improve. Just take it real slow. Don't reduce until the symptoms have settled down. Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Zant808 Posted August 30, 2017 Author Share Posted August 30, 2017 6 hours ago, bubble said: You might have overdone things... We just have to pace ourselves a lot. Leading a 'normal' life is often too much for us to handle. by coping skills I meant something like introduction of meditation, breathing exercises and some gentle mindful physical activity that would help you ground in moments like this. (sleeping in front of a TV is bad for our nerves as well as spending time around electronics in general). I'm impressed with how well you have done and I believe you will continue to improve. Just take it real slow. Don't reduce until the symptoms have settled down. Leading a 'normal' life is probably too stressful and I just don't realize it. Speakers are loud at concerts even though I wear earplugs for hearing protection. I go to NYC which is loaded with a lot of people and noise. Maybe if I'm not just eating healthy all the time it's really doing something bad to my nervous system. I dunno, it just seems like this summer was full of positive stressors. I don't think I got a cold or anything like that all summer either. But anyhow, I only got an hour of sleep and I'm trying not to panic now. So I'm going to have to go through this thread and find as much help that was previously mentioned such as the medication and breathing exercises. I do have an FDA approved electronic device I purchased months ago that is supposed to help with insomnia but never used it because I wasn't in a bind like this. My mother promised to help me figure out how to use it and apply the nodes to my head. It could just be another piece of junk like most of the insomnia treatments but maybe it'll do something positive for me. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted August 30, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 30, 2017 3 hours ago, Zant808 said: Leading a 'normal' life is probably too stressful and I just don't realize it. Speakers are loud at concerts even though I wear earplugs for hearing protection. I go to NYC which is loaded with a lot of people and noise. But anyhow, I only got an hour of sleep and I'm trying not to panic now. So I'm going to have to go through this thread and find as much help that was previously mentioned such as the medication and breathing exercises. You mean meditation Please do it! Exactly - don't panic. You are approaching all this a lot better now. Leading a 'normal' life IS too stressful. The brain doesn't distinguish between good and bad stress. It is all just stress. And a cure for stress is practicing calm. Great idea - go through your thread and find the ways you like to practice calm. Go to nature. Just sit under a tree. You stand a good chance of making it this time with this new thinking. You can do it! Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Zant808 Posted August 31, 2017 Author Share Posted August 31, 2017 10 hours ago, bubble said: You mean meditation Please do it! Exactly - don't panic. You are approaching all this a lot better now. Leading a 'normal' life IS too stressful. The brain doesn't distinguish between good and bad stress. It is all just stress. And a cure for stress is practicing calm. Great idea - go through your thread and find the ways you like to practice calm. Go to nature. Just sit under a tree. You stand a good chance of making it this time with this new thinking. You can do it! LOL honestly after re-reading what I wrote, I feel like we need to force every dictionary company to change either medication or meditation to a completely different word because they are way too close to interchange with a typo! I wound up having to go out to dinner with my mom and when I got home, I was so exhausted, I just passed out for around 2 hours. I know that's not the ideal thing to do for sleep hygiene, but at least I got some sleep. We weren't able to figure out that FDA device. I think I'm going to have to read some PDFs online about it. I'll be going through this thread some more. There's so much to think about in terms of treatments. I'm asking myself well should I try different supplements, eating healthy or even going back to running daily now that my plantar fasciitis has healed in my left foot. I should probably keep this thread as a progress log like I do on BB but I'm not sure if that is allowed because I don't want to be labeled as spamming because this thread will be really huge. Am I allowed to post here every day? I apologize that I didn't reply back on here for months especially since so many people have offered solutions for me to try. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted August 31, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 31, 2017 You can post every day. Some people do it. Although ideally it is better to have shorter posts. That's a great idea: imagine that doctors prescribe meditation as a first line of treatment instead of medication! I wouldn't really experiment with supplements except for magnesium and omega 3. I also wouldn't run but opt for something gentler: yoga, swimming, walking. If you are fine with that, jogging might be the next thing to do. Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Zant808 Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 23 hours ago, bubble said: You can post every day. Some people do it. Although ideally it is better to have shorter posts. That's a great idea: imagine that doctors prescribe meditation as a first line of treatment instead of medication! I wouldn't really experiment with supplements except for magnesium and omega 3. I also wouldn't run but opt for something gentler: yoga, swimming, walking. If you are fine with that, jogging might be the next thing to do. I managed to calm myself and improve the situation to about 6 hours of sleep. The sleep is unusually fragmented though. One hour here, half an hour there and I'm still having strange dreams/nightmares. My local pool closes in a few days because Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, so I'm going to have to find a gym with an indoor pool. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted September 1, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 1, 2017 This is great news! Don't worry that it is fragmented. That's how the sleep rhythm fixes itself: recently you couldn't sleep at all, now you slept for 6 hours, next it will get deeper. What calming strategy did you use? I find it that it's not only calming before going to bed but practicing calm and grounding throughout the day that makes for a better sleep. And in general slowing down the pace. Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Zant808 Posted September 2, 2017 Author Share Posted September 2, 2017 On 9/1/2017 at 2:30 AM, bubble said: This is great news! Don't worry that it is fragmented. That's how the sleep rhythm fixes itself: recently you couldn't sleep at all, now you slept for 6 hours, next it will get deeper. What calming strategy did you use? I find it that it's not only calming before going to bed but practicing calm and grounding throughout the day that makes for a better sleep. And in general slowing down the pace. Had another fragmented sleep day. I've been using deep breathing to calm down. I'm still a bit mad at myself for not being more active today to stay awake so I can try and fall asleep at a normal time because now I probably won't be going to bed until 8:00 AM. Oh well! I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted September 2, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 2, 2017 On 29/04/2017 at 6:18 AM, Zant808 said: Thank you for replying. I see you have been polydrugged for quite a long time like me so you definitely understand what is going on. I should really read that whole Tips to sleep thread. I managed to get 4 hours of sleep last night but now I'm getting myoclonic jerks when I try to nap and it is freaking me out. I was just wondering if there was a particular reason you highlighted amber on that page? Reread this great post from MammaP. Just be patient. It will get better. Avoid the temptation to go for any quick fixes. Gentle care of yourself will do. Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
Zant808 Posted September 3, 2017 Author Share Posted September 3, 2017 There's certainly no lack of different methods for sleep in that thread. I had another day with similar symptoms. I think I really need to avoid my reclining chair because that's where all of these small naps are occurring and then I cannot sleep well later on. I probably need to remove the reclining chair from my room. I do wish I had more patience. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
street129 Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 3 hours ago, Zant808 said: There's certainly no lack of different methods for sleep in that thread. I had another day with similar symptoms. I think I really need to avoid my reclining chair because that's where all of these small naps are occurring and then I cannot sleep well later on. I probably need to remove the reclining chair from my room. I do wish I had more patience. 3 hours ago, Zant808 said: im up too, i dread nights. JOINED THIS BOARD AUGUST 27, 2017 250mg trazodone 250mg Aug 21, 2017 tapering before I found SA 200mg - Aug 21, 2017 to Aug 25, 2017 tapering before found SA 225mg - Aug 26, 2017 updose holding November 26, 2017. I reinstated my original dose of 250mg trazodone..planning on holding for a very long time. No more withdrawal June 14, 2020 at 10% 507 My first start of my trazodone 250mg taper 6/16/20 90 mgai 7/26/20 81 mgai 9/6/20 72 mg ai 10/17/20- updose to 77 mgai 11/11/20- updose to 81 mgai Link to comment
Zant808 Posted September 12, 2017 Author Share Posted September 12, 2017 I continued to struggle with very little / fragmented sleep until two days ago. I'm now back up to about 12 hours of sleep per day. I'm hoping this continues for the rest of the month so then I can do another small reduction on my Depakote Sprinkles. I've been on dozens of psychiatric medications starting with being forced to take Prozac back as a minor in the mid 1990s. All doctors would cold turkey me from medications. I did not learn about withdrawal until the mid 2000's by reading Dr. Breggin's books and finding sites similar to this one. I had one successful full cleansing from medication in 2007 and began to recover from some of the iatrogenic damages. I started to drink alcohol in 2008 to try and recover from PSSD and then about 6 months later, I lost my ability to sleep and was put into an inpatient psychiatric facility and redrugged. The only med combination that has allowed me to sleep was 1250 mg of Depakote ER and 3 mg Klonopin. However, my quality of life is terrible on these meds. I want to try to get off everything now once again. I have failed a couple of times trying to come off these meds recently but will try again once I can find a psychiatrist who understands withdrawal and can support me. UPDATE: I have not consumed any alcohol in over 10 years. May 2019 - I started to reduce Anafranil very slowly so I can see a PSSD specialist. I also plan on trying stem cell therapy to repair my iatrogenic brain damage. Current meds: 1125 mg Depakote Sprinkles, 3 mg Klonopin Current side effects: PSSD, insomnia, odd sleep schedule, anhedonia, lack of motivation, cognitive issues, memory loss, hair loss, weight gain, dry mouth Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus bubble Posted September 12, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 12, 2017 That sounds great! So it was around two weeks of fragmented sleep but you practiced various calming techniques, rode it out and now your sleep is back to normal? (And some time before you would've gone up or down with your drugs...) Just keep it slow and steady. Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2 2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013) Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg. 2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days afterreinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours 28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr 2015 1 mg, 25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64 Xanax 9 month hold 24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26 Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. Link to comment
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