justwanttobefree Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Need advice guys. After 8 months of CT off of Prozac I started 25mg Zoloft. Stayed on that for 3.5 weeks with a bit of improvement but then went back downhill with my period. I then updosed to 50mg and have been on that now for 3 weeks. I still have extreme anxiety/depression/OCD almost as bad as in WD but without the wild crying suicidal despair, as I said above. I read Vonnegutjunky's thread and it scared me when she said her Dr said if she doesn't stabilize by September then she needs to come off all drugs because they're not working. I'm terrified that I'm never going to stabilize, I still feel quite bad ???? Opinions or advice? Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 16, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 16, 2015 Please catch up with Vonnegutjunky 's topic. Who knows if Vonnegutjunky's doctor knows what she's talking about? VJ is starting to stabilize. That is a good sign. Since you increased from 25mg Zoloft to 50mg Zoloft, have your symptoms gotten worse, better, or stayed the same? Many women with withdrawal syndrome find their symptoms get worse at points in their cycle. That does not mean you need to increase the drug dose. See The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization Also see About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 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
HopeNeeded Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 justwanttobefree - was wondering about you. I'm doing horribly, but wanted to say hi and ask what specifically your symptoms have been since reinstating? Diagnosis: Anxiety, Situational Depression March 2016: So debilitated that had to leave my home/job/life to move in with my parents. Hopeless. July 2015: Reinstated 2.5mg to 5mg Prozac - Got worse so stopped the reinstated Prozac Middle of February 2015: Prozac 20mg every other day for one week and discontinued on February 18th or 19th Beg of February 2015: Stopped Pristiq, continued on 20mg Prozac for 2 weeks End of January 2015: Use Prozac to wean off of Pristiq (Added 20mg of Prozac to the 50mg Pristiq - took both for 1 week) January 2015: Decide to stop Pristiq due to negative side effects Beg of November 2014: Switch from Zoloft to Pristiq 50mg August 2014: Reinstate Zoloft 100mg March-June 2014: Weaned off of Zoloft 100mg January 2012: Begin Zoloft 100mg (6 month period at the end of 2012 where I discontinued the Zoloft - reinstated for situational depression) 2008-May 2011: Cymbalta and Topamax for Migraines -- May 2011: Weaned off of Cymbalta and Topamax Link to comment
shelby Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Just, I'm on 50mg zoloft also and I up doing things around the house, but mornings are still bad and once I get going I don't stop until bedtime. I think it is helping a little. I don't think I want to updose again. 40 year old male - First panic attack in May 2012 May 2012 Atenolol (beta blocker)25mg, Ativan 2mg August 2012 Rapid taper ativan, started zoloft 25mg Dec 2012... rapid taper zoloft, January 2013 Xanax 1mg for 1 month February 2013 Klonopin 1mg April 2013 to May 2013 Rapid Taper Klonopin to 0.5mg June 10th 2013 jumped from 0.5 Kpin and Atenolol 25mg July 2013 two days of Ativan 1mg b/c of hospital visit September 2013 started Effexor 75mg (this was a mistake i think) July 2014 to October 2014 tapered off Effexor... July 2015 - Reinstated zoloft 50mg Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Alto - Thank you so much for the reply. Yeah I am trying to forget about what I read on VJ's thread. We don't know her doctor from a hole in the wall and doctors tend to spout off crap when they don't know what they're talking about, as we all know. I had 1 good week on the 25mg but when the pms started I went right back into the suicidal despair pits of hell and didn't come out so the psychiatrist had me go up to 50. Had massive increased anxiety and panic attacks for the first 2 weeks on 50. Haven't had a panic attack since and haven't felt the deep depression / hopelessness / despair but it seems like my morning anxiety and OCD has gotten worse. It's so hard to say though because situationally my life is in turmoil. I left my husband and house up north and moved down to be with my dad in my old hometown. Fought with my husband every day over the phone about our marriage / finances etc. and we are now finally agreed that he will work up north and then commute down here on his days off. However I still need to go back up there and help him pack and move as well as find us a place to live down here. I haven't seen him in over 3 weeks so I've been obsessing about that as well. HopeNeeded - Please see above for my symptoms. Hang in there sweetheart. Shelby - It definitely sounds like you are improving from where you were at!! Keep up the good work ???? Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
shelby Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Just, I noticed an increase in the anxiety also on 50mg. I've been told it will level off... 40 year old male - First panic attack in May 2012 May 2012 Atenolol (beta blocker)25mg, Ativan 2mg August 2012 Rapid taper ativan, started zoloft 25mg Dec 2012... rapid taper zoloft, January 2013 Xanax 1mg for 1 month February 2013 Klonopin 1mg April 2013 to May 2013 Rapid Taper Klonopin to 0.5mg June 10th 2013 jumped from 0.5 Kpin and Atenolol 25mg July 2013 two days of Ativan 1mg b/c of hospital visit September 2013 started Effexor 75mg (this was a mistake i think) July 2014 to October 2014 tapered off Effexor... July 2015 - Reinstated zoloft 50mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 17, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 17, 2015 justwant, what time of day do you take Zoloft? Please update your signature. 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
justwanttobefree Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Alto I've been taking 25mg at 10am and 25mg right before bed. When I first doubled the dose I took all 50mg at 10am but noticed quite a bit more anxiety and OCD within an hour after taking it. Can't find the place to update my signature since I'm on my cell phone Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 17, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 17, 2015 Updating the signature on a cell phone is tricky. When do you get the morning anxiety surge? 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
Vonnegutjunky Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 I feel just Like you just - I really do ???? *Currently at 8.2-8.5 mg of my 10mg pill of Paxil (they actually weigh 12.5mg) january 2023 I began reducing my med again. I was a 9mg weight for years, I went to 8.9 in January, went to 8.6mg in February, and in March 2023 I went down to 8.5-8.2 mg ( my scale varies, so I stick within that .3 range because of that) *No other supplements or vitamins *Taper schedule in the pdf Blank.pdf https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-5vShtJtwAOGA30OxIP87steLmMdFzD29F0fzAPD564 Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 It's so hard to say though because situationally my life is in turmoil. I left my husband and house up north and moved down to be with my dad in my old hometown. Fought with my husband every day over the phone about our marriage / finances etc. and we are now finally agreed that he will work up north and then commute down here on his days off. However I still need to go back up there and help him pack and move as well as find us a place to live down here. I haven't seen him in over 3 weeks so I've been obsessing about that as well. Hey Just, I just wanted to say hi and so sorry to hear your life is such a turmoil at the moment. Hang in there, this sounds like the beginning of sorting everything out. So sorry these drugs messed up so many things in your life. I'm glad you're feeling a bit better regarding the despair and depression. Laura Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Morning anxiety is all but gone now, must have just been from my PMS. Definitely not feeling the deep black despair anymore so the Zoloft seemed to help that a bit but I'm in no way happy. Still obsess over my condition / medication / symptoms all day long and compulsively Google which is my main ritual so I don't think it's helping my OCD. I also still have heavy DP/DR where I'm totally detached from my memories, loved ones, and environment. Just to reiterate, I started Zoloft on June 1st after 8 months of WD. 25mg for 3.5 weeks then up to 50mg. No idea what to do, please help. Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Am I still in WD?! God please no Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
Aliwill Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Hi Just, Just remember that you only reinstated about a month ago. It may take a little more time but you have had so many improvements that I'm sure you are well on your way. I also get terrible around my periods. My symptoms are so much worse. But settle more in the middle of the month. It is when I have a symptom free period that I know I'm back on track. At least the way you are doing it you will stabilize and then can make a decision regarding tapering. That's what I did and my taper is going really well. Cold turkey was brutal. Tapering isn't. If you read my thread you will see that I have had a little hiccup recently after an operation but other than that am traveling really well. Good luck to you. I'm sure you will be fine and well on the way to a successful reinstatement. Ali 2003 Zoloft for PND. No other Psych history before this. 2009 CT. Huge withdrawal. Voluntary hospital admission. Successfully stabilized on 40mg Prozac. 2012 CT after 2 years of tapering to 10mg. Another Disaster. No hospital admission. Stabilized 40mg Prozac 2014 CT after 2 years of tapering to 5mg. Destabilized but not as bad as previous. Found this site. Reinstated 5mg. Stabilized quickly but held for 6 months. Feb 2015 4mg Prozac March 2015 Tramadol for Pain after an OP. Didn’t realize it was an SNRI. March 2015 3 mg Prozac April 2015 2.5mg Prozac May 2015 2mg Prozac June 2015 Destabilized (After research believe it was delayed withdrawal due to the Tramadol) July 11th 2015. Updosed to 2.5mg Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Thank you so much for your kind reply Ali. I pray to god you are right. I'm so incredibly terrified of this WD because it's taken so much from me already. My job, my home, my friends, and nearly my husband. I feel like my baseline has improved about 30% from where I was in WD and 80% from the suicidal shaking like a leaf terror. I'm still only a shadow of my former self though. My OCD has always capitalized on my fear of losing control and going insane / killing someone or myself and now that I can't control my mood and emotions it's just that much worse. Add the DP/DR and it's a wonder I make it through every day. Am I slowly stabilizing? Will I ever feel happy / content again? Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Someone please help me ???? is this RI working?! Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
bluebalu86 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 just, I'm no expert, but since you have improvements (no matter how small) and are not getting worse, it's safe to say the new drug is working. It's not really a reinstatement because you didn't restart your old drug, but started a new one. I suffer from depression, anxiety, pure-o ocd, and panic attacks since 2004. Been on multiple different psychiatric drugs since 2006. Never had a significant WD problem before, only brain zaps for a month and then I'd be fine...............Been on Cipralex (escitalopram) 15 mg and Fluanxol (flupentixol) 1 mg since Sep 2014. Stopped taking the Cipralex after a fast 20-day taper.Took the last 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 5th, 2015. Then took Seroxat (paroxetine) 10 mg for a week, and stopped it too. Severe WD started suddenly on Feb 16th. RI 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 18th, 2015. RI worked and was relatively stable for a while................April 7 - decreased Fluanxol from 1 mg to 0.5 mg and took it at this dose for a week. - BIG MISTAKE; April 13 - WD starts creeping in; April 14 - RI full dose of Fluanxol 1 mg => severe muscle twitching and jerking when trying to relax and fall asleep, overwhelming sense of doom, dread, terror, and horror, insomnia, hoping to stabilize.Tried doing a 10% cut off Fluanxol in the end of May for a few days, but quickly updosed to full dose because the twitching returned.Experiencing waves and windows in the following months.Unsuccessful brief taper attempt of Fluanxol by 5% on November 1st. Symptoms hit the next day. Too scared to continue tapering, reinstate full dose.Severe crash in November after stupidly trying a barbiturate on November 9th. Grave mistake. Sense of unshakable inescapable internal torture, like my soul is in hell being tortured, terror/horror/dread/doom (probably akathisia?) that gets especially bad when trying to relax and fall asleep, muscles twitch, jerk and move on their own, shaking, insomnia, can't eat, confusion, disorientation, brain not working normally. Never felt so bad in my entire life. Never experiment with other meds while in WD! Praying to God I stabilize and get back to my baseline.December - things getting even worse. January - unbearable suffering Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 22, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 22, 2015 It sounds to me like the Zoloft is helping. You cannot expect to recover from withdrawal syndrome immediately. After one's nervous system is stressed by withdrawal syndrome, psychiatric drugs may never work in the same way anymore. Please work on your health anxiety. You might want to discuss it here Health anxiety, hypochondria, and obsession with symptoms Even though we might explain and reassure you over and over, it won't stick unless you learn to self-soothe and learn to manage your more distressing habits of thought. Learning to meditate can help, as can working with a good Cognitive Behavior Therapy therapist. See other relevant topics in the Symptoms and Self-Care forum. 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
Vonnegutjunky Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Just - I read your whole thread - my wd symptoms were just like yours - ignore what my doctor said - she said that because she doesn't want to see my unnecessarily suffer - I am starting to stabilize but my wd is still there - I have less symptoms and I am able to function now- and when I get distracted I hardly notice my symptoms - I also obsessive Google everyday all day - drives my boyfriend and family crazy - he ignores me when I talk about my symptoms - reinstatement works and it doesn't for me - but I reinstated what I was on in hopes to eventually come off - I am thinking of talking to my doctor about lexapro - I feel like I have brain damage now and would rather, like you say, live medicated than Die unmedicated - I few days ago I prayed to the lord every night for cancer - I prayed for a quick drugged up death- now the last few days I have been feeling better able to cope - I still have anxiety everyday, not really panic- during the day my moods swing from feeling ok to the despair you posted about -i too have all be mental symptoms - except I have ear ringing and visual snow since my medication increase 2.5 Mos ago- the wd continues as I have read before, once it starts nothing can stop it but I know my RI didn't make it worse and I'm not getting worse symptoms- they are at least recognizeable now - so I am having start up effects along with wd - I have had a few days where I feel pretty good - I hold onto those days - if I don't get better 4-5 mos on my 20mg I will ask to go on something new - I don't want to continue to feel like this indefinitely- like you I also wonder if I'm am creating my symptoms or if they are medication induced or wd- and I don't know that the Paxil will actually pull me out of this depression but right now I'm ok with that - I just traumatized myself, I should feel depressed about that - but I'm not daily suicidal, I don't have constant doom and despair- my brain fog is gone 100% my dizzy head is gone 100% - I am able to enjoy certain TV shows again - I was put on Paxil for anxiety with obsessive ruminations, but I never struggled with depression- I believe I have diurnal depression now aka melancholia- I will use therapy to try to get through this and omega 3 - for now - but I was like you from January until about 3 weeks ago- it got worse when I increased the Paxil and now I am starting to feel like my self about 70-75% of the time - but your writing is beautiful- I could not verbalize how I felt - I felt so strange -like an alien but with soul crushing despair and horror- everything was surreal and unrelenting and I still get those feelings - they have not gone away but in between I feel ok- I can play video games , watch tv , work can distract me now, before I couldnt work, I had to refinance my home and my boyfriend cant afford all of our bills on his paycheck alone- I wanted to admit myself in the hospital too - I'm surprised I didn't - now when I think about my symptoms I get anxious and worried and confused kind of - it's difficult to comprehend - but I am still very afraid of those feelings - thinking of them scare me and feeling them makes me feel desperate - please keep us posted on your progress - Xxxo *Currently at 8.2-8.5 mg of my 10mg pill of Paxil (they actually weigh 12.5mg) january 2023 I began reducing my med again. I was a 9mg weight for years, I went to 8.9 in January, went to 8.6mg in February, and in March 2023 I went down to 8.5-8.2 mg ( my scale varies, so I stick within that .3 range because of that) *No other supplements or vitamins *Taper schedule in the pdf Blank.pdf https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-5vShtJtwAOGA30OxIP87steLmMdFzD29F0fzAPD564 Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 22, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 22, 2015 Vonnegutjunky, please put paragraph breaks in your posts. Those dense blocks of text are difficult to read. 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
justwanttobefree Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 Thank you Alto, you're right. I know my main issue is obsessing about my medication/condition and I need to get that under control! I see a CBT therapist Monday and am doing some guided meditation every night from YouTube. Just a question though: Since I upped my Zoloft dose to 50mg I've had constant diarrhea every day and today I'm getting hot and cold flashes and am nauseous. I've been on the increased dose for almost a month. Is this something to worry about like serotonin syndrome do you think or is it just side effects? Vonnegutjunky- I will PM you! ???? Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
bluebalu86 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Hi just I think your gastro troubles are from the Zoloft. I remember when I tried it for 2 weeks a few years ago it gave me terrible gastro problems and that's why I discontinued it. My doctor admitted Zoloft causes stomach troubles for many many people. I suffer from depression, anxiety, pure-o ocd, and panic attacks since 2004. Been on multiple different psychiatric drugs since 2006. Never had a significant WD problem before, only brain zaps for a month and then I'd be fine...............Been on Cipralex (escitalopram) 15 mg and Fluanxol (flupentixol) 1 mg since Sep 2014. Stopped taking the Cipralex after a fast 20-day taper.Took the last 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 5th, 2015. Then took Seroxat (paroxetine) 10 mg for a week, and stopped it too. Severe WD started suddenly on Feb 16th. RI 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 18th, 2015. RI worked and was relatively stable for a while................April 7 - decreased Fluanxol from 1 mg to 0.5 mg and took it at this dose for a week. - BIG MISTAKE; April 13 - WD starts creeping in; April 14 - RI full dose of Fluanxol 1 mg => severe muscle twitching and jerking when trying to relax and fall asleep, overwhelming sense of doom, dread, terror, and horror, insomnia, hoping to stabilize.Tried doing a 10% cut off Fluanxol in the end of May for a few days, but quickly updosed to full dose because the twitching returned.Experiencing waves and windows in the following months.Unsuccessful brief taper attempt of Fluanxol by 5% on November 1st. Symptoms hit the next day. Too scared to continue tapering, reinstate full dose.Severe crash in November after stupidly trying a barbiturate on November 9th. Grave mistake. Sense of unshakable inescapable internal torture, like my soul is in hell being tortured, terror/horror/dread/doom (probably akathisia?) that gets especially bad when trying to relax and fall asleep, muscles twitch, jerk and move on their own, shaking, insomnia, can't eat, confusion, disorientation, brain not working normally. Never felt so bad in my entire life. Never experiment with other meds while in WD! Praying to God I stabilize and get back to my baseline.December - things getting even worse. January - unbearable suffering Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 23, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 23, 2015 JW2BF -- it's not serotonin syndrome but it is an adverse effect of the drug. Have these side effects increased, decreased, or stayed the same over the month? 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
justwanttobefree Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 The gastro trouble increased when I doubled the dose to 50mg but this nausea/sweating/fever is new as of this morning. There is a flu going around though and it's 35 degrees where I live. I hate not knowing what is the drug and what isn't ???????? Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 23, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 23, 2015 You may be ill. In the meantime, you may wish to take Zoloft with food. Please update your signature. 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
shelby Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 I have gastro problems on Zoloft also... I'm on 50mg like you... 40 year old male - First panic attack in May 2012 May 2012 Atenolol (beta blocker)25mg, Ativan 2mg August 2012 Rapid taper ativan, started zoloft 25mg Dec 2012... rapid taper zoloft, January 2013 Xanax 1mg for 1 month February 2013 Klonopin 1mg April 2013 to May 2013 Rapid Taper Klonopin to 0.5mg June 10th 2013 jumped from 0.5 Kpin and Atenolol 25mg July 2013 two days of Ativan 1mg b/c of hospital visit September 2013 started Effexor 75mg (this was a mistake i think) July 2014 to October 2014 tapered off Effexor... July 2015 - Reinstated zoloft 50mg Link to comment
shelby Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 I'm having trouble adjusting also Just, i'm praying for you! We'll get there, don't give up! 40 year old male - First panic attack in May 2012 May 2012 Atenolol (beta blocker)25mg, Ativan 2mg August 2012 Rapid taper ativan, started zoloft 25mg Dec 2012... rapid taper zoloft, January 2013 Xanax 1mg for 1 month February 2013 Klonopin 1mg April 2013 to May 2013 Rapid Taper Klonopin to 0.5mg June 10th 2013 jumped from 0.5 Kpin and Atenolol 25mg July 2013 two days of Ativan 1mg b/c of hospital visit September 2013 started Effexor 75mg (this was a mistake i think) July 2014 to October 2014 tapered off Effexor... July 2015 - Reinstated zoloft 50mg Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Thanks Alto, I think it must have been the flu because it's totally gone now thank god! Still feel super spaced out and have intrusive thoughts and the odd feeling of dread for my future but wayyyy better than I was. Shelby we just have to keep giving it time and let our brains adjust. No more dose adjustments - let's just ride out this 50mg for atleast 2 more months before we re-evaluate. Like SA always says, the brain likes stability!! It's only going to get better ???? Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 So I've been on Zoloft for 2 months now and was doing quite well until the last 2 days. I exercised very hard for half an hour (climbed 25 flights of stairs) the other day now have been in a bad wave the last 2 days. Feeling depressed, headache, DREAD & DOOM back full force. What the heck?! ???? Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 Jesus this is bad. I'm back in the terrifying depths of despair and fear!!! Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
bluebalu86 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Just, I think it's normal to have ups and downs while you adjust to the new drug. Try not to be scared. I've had ups and downs for months after reinstating. I suffer from depression, anxiety, pure-o ocd, and panic attacks since 2004. Been on multiple different psychiatric drugs since 2006. Never had a significant WD problem before, only brain zaps for a month and then I'd be fine...............Been on Cipralex (escitalopram) 15 mg and Fluanxol (flupentixol) 1 mg since Sep 2014. Stopped taking the Cipralex after a fast 20-day taper.Took the last 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 5th, 2015. Then took Seroxat (paroxetine) 10 mg for a week, and stopped it too. Severe WD started suddenly on Feb 16th. RI 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 18th, 2015. RI worked and was relatively stable for a while................April 7 - decreased Fluanxol from 1 mg to 0.5 mg and took it at this dose for a week. - BIG MISTAKE; April 13 - WD starts creeping in; April 14 - RI full dose of Fluanxol 1 mg => severe muscle twitching and jerking when trying to relax and fall asleep, overwhelming sense of doom, dread, terror, and horror, insomnia, hoping to stabilize.Tried doing a 10% cut off Fluanxol in the end of May for a few days, but quickly updosed to full dose because the twitching returned.Experiencing waves and windows in the following months.Unsuccessful brief taper attempt of Fluanxol by 5% on November 1st. Symptoms hit the next day. Too scared to continue tapering, reinstate full dose.Severe crash in November after stupidly trying a barbiturate on November 9th. Grave mistake. Sense of unshakable inescapable internal torture, like my soul is in hell being tortured, terror/horror/dread/doom (probably akathisia?) that gets especially bad when trying to relax and fall asleep, muscles twitch, jerk and move on their own, shaking, insomnia, can't eat, confusion, disorientation, brain not working normally. Never felt so bad in my entire life. Never experiment with other meds while in WD! Praying to God I stabilize and get back to my baseline.December - things getting even worse. January - unbearable suffering Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 Thanks so much BB. I've been keeping up on your thread - I can relate to almost everything you say. This experience is beyond words and in my opinion the windows and waves are the cruelest part of all. For us to feel better and have hope and then have our souls crushed over and over again. This is sick and I am not strong enough to endure it. Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
bluebalu86 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 You are honey. Like someone said on the site - "we are as strong as we need to be". You have been through enormous amounts of pain and suffering and you are still here. It proves you are stronger than you think. You will make it, have hope and faith. I suffer from depression, anxiety, pure-o ocd, and panic attacks since 2004. Been on multiple different psychiatric drugs since 2006. Never had a significant WD problem before, only brain zaps for a month and then I'd be fine...............Been on Cipralex (escitalopram) 15 mg and Fluanxol (flupentixol) 1 mg since Sep 2014. Stopped taking the Cipralex after a fast 20-day taper.Took the last 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 5th, 2015. Then took Seroxat (paroxetine) 10 mg for a week, and stopped it too. Severe WD started suddenly on Feb 16th. RI 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 18th, 2015. RI worked and was relatively stable for a while................April 7 - decreased Fluanxol from 1 mg to 0.5 mg and took it at this dose for a week. - BIG MISTAKE; April 13 - WD starts creeping in; April 14 - RI full dose of Fluanxol 1 mg => severe muscle twitching and jerking when trying to relax and fall asleep, overwhelming sense of doom, dread, terror, and horror, insomnia, hoping to stabilize.Tried doing a 10% cut off Fluanxol in the end of May for a few days, but quickly updosed to full dose because the twitching returned.Experiencing waves and windows in the following months.Unsuccessful brief taper attempt of Fluanxol by 5% on November 1st. Symptoms hit the next day. Too scared to continue tapering, reinstate full dose.Severe crash in November after stupidly trying a barbiturate on November 9th. Grave mistake. Sense of unshakable inescapable internal torture, like my soul is in hell being tortured, terror/horror/dread/doom (probably akathisia?) that gets especially bad when trying to relax and fall asleep, muscles twitch, jerk and move on their own, shaking, insomnia, can't eat, confusion, disorientation, brain not working normally. Never felt so bad in my entire life. Never experiment with other meds while in WD! Praying to God I stabilize and get back to my baseline.December - things getting even worse. January - unbearable suffering Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 I am back in the pits of hell. Severe terror, headache, disorientation, intrusive thoughts. I can't do this!!!!! Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
justwanttobefree Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 Please guys, do you think it was the intense exercise that threw me into this wave?! I literally feel like I'm going insane. Diagnosed: Pure O Ocd, Severe Anxiety Disorder NOS, PMDD November 2009 - May 2013- CIPRALEX 20mg C/T off 20mg Cipralex Went into dark depression (never experienced before med) September 2013 - March 2014- PROZAC 20mg Weaned down to 10mg and held October 1st 2014 C/T off 10mg Prozac Protracted withdrawal - 8 months of the most horrific suffering imaginable June 1st 2015 - ZOLOFT 25mg June 26th 2015 - Dose increase to 50mg of Zoloft (taken at night after dinner). Slowly improving but still have severe OCD/ruminating, intense DP/DR, and brain fog. Just trying to stabilize at this point. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 1, 2015 Administrator Share Posted August 1, 2015 Some people find intense exercise triggers symptoms. We recommend taking it easy when it comes to exercise. 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
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