Administrator Altostrata Posted May 7, 2015 Administrator Share Posted May 7, 2015 Nick, how are you going to reinstate? If I were you, I'd speak to my doctor and express the need for 37.5mg Effexor to treat depression, since you were on it before. 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
Nick88 Posted May 8, 2015 Author Share Posted May 8, 2015 the gp that I've been seeing won't give that to me. he said thats not standard protocol. so ill have to find another gp, at the moment I've been taking crumbs of the 50mg pristiq. not sure if it would be having any effect yet, or if that small a dose would be adequate. History: Age 19- Effexor 150mg for around 2 years. Age 23 Mirtazapine 30mg for about 8 Months Age 23 Pristiq added 100mg Age 24 Pristiq increased to 200mg 6-9 months drug free Age 26 Back on Pristiq Only, 50mg then later back up to 100mg, then back down to 50mg and then off beginning of March 2015. Current: Drug free. Feeling mentally impaired. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted May 8, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 8, 2015 It can take 4 days for it to have any effect Nick. Hope it helps you, reinstating a few beads of effexor helped me a lot after I quit due to tapering too fast, effexor is the same type of drug so hopefully the small amount of pristiq will have the same effect for you. If it hasn't helped in a few days and you don't feel any worse you could try a little more, then give it another few days. **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 Rhiannon Posted May 8, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 8, 2015 the gp that I've been seeing won't give that to me. he said thats not standard protocol. so ill have to find another gp, at the moment I've been taking crumbs of the 50mg pristiq. not sure if it would be having any effect yet, or if that small a dose would be adequate. I know that doctor-shopping can be hard and stressful, but it's really worth it to find someone who will listen and be cooperative. Sometimes a nurse practitioner or physician assistant will be better than a GP, but not always. It might be possible to find a provider who is willing to restart you on Effexor if you just say, Effexor worked for me and I am struggling with symptoms now and I don't want to take Pristiq any more because of side effects and because I want to eventually taper off gradually and it's impossible to do that with Pristiq. I think there are probably doctors who would work with that. Good luck to you! Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010. Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea. Feb 15 2010: 300 mg Neurontin 200 Lamictal 10 Celexa 0.65 Xanax and 5 mg Ambien Feb 10 2014: 62 Lamictal 1.1 Celexa 0.135 Xanax 1.8 Valium Feb 10 2015: 50 Lamictal 0.875 Celexa 0.11 Xanax 1.5 Valium Feb 15 2016: 47.5 Lamictal 0.75 Celexa 0.0875 Xanax 1.42 Valium 2/12/20 12 0.045 0.007 1 May 2021 7 0.01 0.0037 1 Feb 2022 6 0!!! 0.00167 0.98 2.5 mg Ambien Oct 2022 4.5 mg Lamictal (off Celexa, off Xanax) 0.95 Valium Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 8, 2015 Administrator Share Posted May 8, 2015 Here is how you speak to a doctor: Do not raise your voice, cry, beg, or quaver. With a confident smile and a strong, steady voice, look the doctor in the eye and tell the doctor you want x. If the doctor refuses, smlle and politely restate your request calmly. You would want Effexor for therapeutic reasons, not to open up the capsules. 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
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted May 9, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 9, 2015 Dr Lois Achimovich (psychiatrist) in Freemantle understands ssri withdrawal syndrome. She may be able to recommend a gp for you if you contact her. Let her know when booking it's in relation to difficulties with antidepressants. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted May 9, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 9, 2015 I didn't tell my doctor I wanted to open capsules after he made it clear he didn't believe in withdrawal and said I should just stop the low dose. I just carried on collecting scripts until I didn't need them any more. You want to try effexor again because the pristiq has side effects. **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
Nick88 Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 Hey Fresh, thanks I'll get in contact with Dr Lois Achimovich. Hopefully chatting to her in person will give me some peace of mind and sounds like she'd write me a script for effexor in a heartbeat. History: Age 19- Effexor 150mg for around 2 years. Age 23 Mirtazapine 30mg for about 8 Months Age 23 Pristiq added 100mg Age 24 Pristiq increased to 200mg 6-9 months drug free Age 26 Back on Pristiq Only, 50mg then later back up to 100mg, then back down to 50mg and then off beginning of March 2015. Current: Drug free. Feeling mentally impaired. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 9, 2015 Administrator Share Posted May 9, 2015 I am suggesting Effexor XR because it's so difficult to properly titrate Pristiq, Effexor XR is a close relative, and Nick has tolerated it well before. Fresh, can you add Dr Lois Achimovich to our doctors list, with contact information? Is she available with a referral from a GP? 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
Nick88 Posted May 10, 2015 Author Share Posted May 10, 2015 I have been taking magnesium, tyrosine and vitamin b6 supplements, as they help in the production of serotonin and other neurotransmitters. However I just discovered, that the maximum dose recommended is 50-100mg a day. The 'herbs of gold'vitamin B6 brand that I had been taking for about a week is 200mg. And the magnesium supplement had an added 50mg of VitB6. So was getting 250mg a day. Long term this dose could cause nerve damage. I am glad I worked this out early as it could have ended badly. Hope nobody else is making the same mistake! History: Age 19- Effexor 150mg for around 2 years. Age 23 Mirtazapine 30mg for about 8 Months Age 23 Pristiq added 100mg Age 24 Pristiq increased to 200mg 6-9 months drug free Age 26 Back on Pristiq Only, 50mg then later back up to 100mg, then back down to 50mg and then off beginning of March 2015. Current: Drug free. Feeling mentally impaired. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus dalsaan Posted May 10, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 10, 2015 Hi Nick, We dont subscribe to a lot of supplements beyond fish oil and magnesium. Destabalised nervous systems can react to a lot of things. B vitamins are activating for a lot of people. Dalsaan Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist. Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014. Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September. Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015. Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15). Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past. DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017 >My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted May 12, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 12, 2015 Dr Achimovich isn't taking new referrals atm , session with Dr Lucire sorted. Can someone direct me to the right section for helpful doctors please. How have the last couple of days been for you Nick? 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Nick88 Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share Posted May 15, 2015 Hey Fresh, the last few days have been pretty good. Going to the gym everyday which helps enormously. Still feeling lost for words, spacey. But I guess I just have to be patient. History: Age 19- Effexor 150mg for around 2 years. Age 23 Mirtazapine 30mg for about 8 Months Age 23 Pristiq added 100mg Age 24 Pristiq increased to 200mg 6-9 months drug free Age 26 Back on Pristiq Only, 50mg then later back up to 100mg, then back down to 50mg and then off beginning of March 2015. Current: Drug free. Feeling mentally impaired. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted May 15, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 15, 2015 Hey Fresh, the last few days have been pretty good. Going to the gym everyday which helps enormously. Still feeling lost for words, spacey. But I guess I just have to be patient. Glad you are feeling better Nick, that is great news Dr Achimovich isn't taking new referrals atm , session with Dr Lucire sorted. Can someone direct me to the right section for helpful doctors please. How have the last couple of days been for you Nick? It should be with the pinned topics in tapering Fresh. **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
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