Sweetpetite Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 Hi, thought I'd introduce myself after lurking around the forum for a while. Forums like this have been a godsend for me. I started seroxat (Paxil) 20mg in 2002 after depression and anxiety in my teenage years. I reduced to 10mg to reduce side effects. I have attempted to come off Paxil a few times always ending up going back on it because of withdrawal issues. This time I've tried to do it properly and have been slowly tapering using the liquid version and have managed to get from 10mg to 0.8mg. I was following the 10% reduction method and have had a lot of withdrawal symptoms but have managed to power through. At 2.5mg i became inpatient and did 4 drops of 20% and even a 33% from 1.5 to 1.0 mg. I stabilised for longer hoping this would counteract any issues. But since this time wthdrawals has slowly got worse and worse. I went down to 0.36mg and was getting waves of severe depression that would last for around 4 days and tried to weather it out but the depressive periods started getting closer together and unbearable. I'm now thinking I'm bearing the brunt of being inpatient a few drops ago and there has been a delayed reaction. I've gone back up to the last dose I was on 0.4mg and at first felt a lot better almost manic but now 7 days down the line I still feel severely depressed, confused, dizzy and sick:( I'm not sure what to do now , do I keep increasing my dose until I feel like it's bearable again? If so how long do I wait between updoses. Or do I just admit defeat and go back upto 2.5mg and stabilise before coming down slower? Any advice would be really appreciated! Thanks Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted May 11, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 11, 2015 Welcome Sweetpetitie, I'm sorry you have been having problems with the last part of your paxil taper and well done for getting as far as you have. Usually people have to taper slower as the dose gets lower, so its not surprising that you are having withdrawal symptoms from making larger cuts. I understand how it can happen, we all want to get off these drugs fast and impatience can get the better of us. When were you taking 2.5mg and when did you drop to 1.5 and 1.0? Please would you add some dates to your tapering history. We need to know when you made cuts and when you have updosed. The best way to do this is by putting this information in your signature, here are instructions for how to do it: http://survivinganti...your-signature/ At what dose did the withdrawal symptoms start to get worse? When you get back to us with more details, we will be in a better position to offer suggestions. Petunia. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 Thanks for your reply Petunia my history is below (also in my signature) Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilipram, bad reaction extreme anxiety Back onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.36 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly I noticed the symptoms became much worse around the end of last year so after the 33% drop to 1.0 but unbearable last month on the 0.36 dosage. Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
nz11 Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 wow your history and escape attempts are sooo similar to mine. I think your taper has been a very good attempt, ... hard pressed to find a better one imo. You are suffering classic wdl. In my case i jumped off at 5mg after about 8 months of clueless taper and i was in a bad way for 2-3 yrs. Even at 4.5 yrs im still having wdl symptoms. I guess you have 2 options 1. jump off and survive drug free, ...in time you will stabilise or 2. updose. I know which one i would choose. Petu will advise the best move to make.....maybe there is a 3rd option? Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 hi silver star, reassuring to know other people have been there, sometimes feel like I'm the only one! I think I have three options come off as you say and suffer the consequences, my doctor has advised this using Valium as a safety method. This option scares me as I am really suffering now and not sure if I could cope and keep my sanity especially with quite a stressfull job Even slight changes in dose seem to have such a big affect at the moment. Updose until i feel stable again and then come down more slowly, this is probably the least scary but seems like i am giving in to defeat as ive worked so hard to get to such a low dose Stay where i am for a while and try and stabilise and then come down to zero from here, ive been on my updose now for a week and apart from an inital improvement don't feel any better, how long do i need to hold before I'm certain the updose hasnt helped and mayb eneed to increase? Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
reducedseroxat Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Hi, I'm so glad to have come across this conversation - I don't have time right now to give a breakdown of my experiences with Seroxat but will do in the next few days. I started in 2000 and have been trying to come off them ever since ... I'm currently on 10mg after recently dropping from 20mg and I'm finding it difficult. Any tips would be great in relation to moments of sadness/depression and feeling completely 'weird' and emotional ..thanks :-) Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 11, 2015 Administrator Share Posted May 11, 2015 Welcome, sweetpetite. It's a good sign that your small updose seemed to help. It's only been a week. It can take some months before people stabilize from an updose. In the meantime, you will continue to suffer bouts of withdrawal symptoms as your nervous system stabilizes. See The Windows and Waves Pattern of Recovery It's usually a mistake to "power through" withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are your body telling you you're going too fast with your taper. You probably should have held at 1mg when you started having serious problems last year. With any luck, a nice long hold will allow your nervous system to recover, and then you can start on the last leg down on your dosage. 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
Sweetpetite Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 Hi thanks for the advice and welcome, after the drop down to 1mg last year I realised I had made too big a decrease and held for 10 weeks I hoped this would have counteracted the too big a drop but it still seems to have caught up with me i think I will take your advice and monitor how I go after the updose. I'm still suffering quite a bit, I guess I am better than I was last week but still have headaches nausea dizziness and feelings of depression and detachment. Guess I'm just scared ive done some damage coming down too fast and there's no way back, really disheartening after doing so well for so long. Reduced seroxat my advice would be as patient as possible and never reduced by more than 10% or you will suffer in the long run as I've found out. To deal with the withdrawal symptoms I've found making improvements in my lifestyle and trying to remind myself that they aren't permanant and will get better helped a lot, good luck Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
nz11 Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 SP I'd fight really hard to resist the urge to take valium or any other benzo. I have seen many swap one addiction for another . Dependence can be established within a week and it may take as mentioned several months to stabilize from the updose. imo you have done a wonderful taper down giving the brain time to adjust so hopefully it wont take too long to stabilize from the updose. Hang in there Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 Thanks silver star for the encouraging words. When my doctor suggested the valium I was dead against it as I know how addictive they can be and i really don't want to add another drug into the mix. I have some that were prescribed for nervous flying that are in the house but I try and not take them, although through the anxiety in my early withdrawal they were reassuring to have. Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
nz11 Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Yeah i was given loraxapam too to cover wdl...at that stage i was just coming to my senses realizing i had to think for myself instead of blindly trusting doctors. Went home and googled it found out it was a sister of valium and as such threw it straight out. The thought that i would take something addictive would have made me run a mile i was later to discover that in 2001 alone paxil =paroxetine=seroxat was the most difficult drug to get off out of all drugs prescribed by doctors ...with valium coming in at #13. Words cannot describe the humiliation i felt when i discovered this. I chose the road of suffering. In hindsight i realise it didnt have to be this way but i didnt know. However even doing a slow taper does not guarantee no wdl symptoms. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
nz11 Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hi, I'm so glad to have come across this conversation - I don't have time right now to give a breakdown of my experiences with Seroxat but will do in the next few days. I started in 2000 and have been trying to come off them ever since ... I'm currently on 10mg after recently dropping from 20mg and I'm finding it difficult. Any tips would be great in relation to moments of sadness/depression and feeling completely 'weird' and emotional ..thanks :-) Hey RS why dont you start an intro thread and people come in and offer help. It will also double as a recovery journal. Look forward to seeing you in the intro's Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 Yeah i was given loraxapam too to cover wdl...at that stage i was just coming to my senses realizing i had to think for myself instead of blindly trusting doctors. Went home and googled it found out it was a sister of valium and as such threw it straight out. The thought that i would take something addictive would have made me run a mile i was later to discover that in 2001 alone paxil =paroxetine=seroxat was the most difficult drug to get off out of all drugs prescribed by doctors ...with valium coming in at #13. Words cannot describe the humiliation i felt when i discovered this. I chose the road of suffering. In hindsight i realise it didnt have to be this way but i didnt know. However even doing a slow taper does not guarantee no wdl symptoms. I admire you so much for being on seroxat for so long then coming off in such a short time and getting through it, coming off as slowly as I have has been so hard so I can't imagine what you have been through! How long did it take you to start to feel like you are starting to recover after it was out of your system, or do you think it's still going on? I'm so concerned that I have caused some kind of permanant damage to myself and I'm never going to feel normal without these drugs, I've forgotten what normal feels like! Just an update, I am feeling a lot better today almost human again I really hope this is a sign I am getting over how terrible I have felt, I am thinking I got a new prescription for liquid paxil and have just started a new bottle today. The previous bottle I had for a while as it takes me so long now to get through them,although it was within its expiry date it had been open a lot longer than the 1 month the leaflet recommends,which i've only just noticed! I don't know if the updose is having an affect or the previous bottle was off in some way so making things worse? Seems a bit of a coincidence that I'm feeling so much better today after starting the new bottle! Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
nz11 Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Thanks SP, i think you have done tremendously well and i am very envious at such a great taper. You may have just got ankle tapped at the finish line. But it will be a small glitch in getting over the line i'm sure.. If anyone has done any damage because of incompetent tapering it will be me ...honestly your tapering would be bettered by very few. I would be the last person to commit suicide but wdl fixated me on it for many many months. Drug free I was a non-functioning human for 2 years and i thought i was going to die. I did find it would recede somewhat in the evenings and i looked forward to that..only for the horror show to start up again the next morning I would cry almost daily for well over 3 yrs saying i am not going to make it . Crossing the 4 year barrier has seen sig improvements in cognitive stabillty. I still feel though that my emotional response mechanism is still very compromised. I have my own views on this 'permanent damage' but all i can say is you have given yourself the best of chances to recover. What you are experiencing now will recede in time. Recovery takes time. Another member Brassmonkey has a saying AAF which means acknowledge Accept and float. I guess one could add D to that 'distract'. Trying to find something for the brain to do would at times keep it distracted from terrorizing itself. imo Hang in there, be patient, and you win ...the war ! Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 12, 2015 Administrator Share Posted May 12, 2015 Sweetpetite, I guess it is possible your liquid had lost potency, if it had a shelf-life of only a 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
Sweetpetite Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Hi All, An update and in need of some advice, I updosed 2 weeks ago from 0.72 mg to 0.80mg as withdrawal was getting unbearable. After about 8 days I felt about 100 times better, as normal as i've felt for a long time that lasted around 3/4 days and now again i'm feeling very depressed, confused and having bad dizzy spells again. I recognise this is the classic 'wave and window' patterm however the waves are unbearable still after the updose am finding it hard to cope with and carry on as normal.. Do I updose again to hopefully make the waves a bit more easy to cope with or do I try and stick it out. Feeling very disillusioned about it all after I felt so good a few days ago. Not sure what to do Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
Martina23 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Sweetpetite, you have a very beautiful avatar, I would so much like to be somewhere near the see. And this sun is so soothing ... 05/2013 Lyrica 100 mg / per day for pain + PGAD resulting from caesarian delivery11/2014 started to taper: 50 mg per day/ for one week then c/tafter one month reinstated at 50 mg /per days of 10 July 2015 drug free- symptoms OCD Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Thanks Martina, it symbolises hope for me, a new beginning after being a prisoner of this drug for so long. I also find the sea very soothing Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
nz11 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 SP this is a real conundrum isnt it. You have come so far with such incredible patience. I hope you stabilize soon...whatever you decide. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted May 23, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 23, 2015 Sweetpetite, I guess it is possible your liquid had lost potency, if it had a shelf-life of only a month. Have you considered this? How long have you had the bottle? Maybe give it a little more time, you only updosed just over 2 weeks ago, and you had a small window, sometimes it can take a couple of months for things to settle after a change. If it were me, I would wait a bit longer before trying another updose and then if you do, only try another 10%. The risk you take if you keep updosing is that you may never stabilize on any dose and you are going in the wrong direction. At least if you hold where you are, you will stabilize eventually, then when you do, you can wait a little longer and then continue with a much slower taper. Keep notes of your symptoms to see if there are any patterns. Are your symptoms diminishing? Staying about the same? If there are even slight improvements happening, I think I would hold. Do keep us updated with what you decide. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
nz11 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Hi SP how is it going? Is it still unbearable? I found the unbearableness would recede somewhat in the evening.? Do the symptoms recede somewhat in the evening? Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 Hi guys thank you for the advice and concern really means so much when going through this. Its almost 3 weeks now since updosing and i am still experiencing the windows and waves. im.just been through a few days of feeling a little better but today started feeling quite down again, trying to hang on and stabilise at this dose if i can. Even in the windows im having i just dont feel 'right' and dont think i have since the end of last year. I just feel so flat and detached, ive become much more introverted and feel like my personality has changed. This is part of the reason i wanted to come off in the first place but withdrawal has just seemed to make it worse. Im concerned this is just how i am without anti depressants and not entirely convinced its the withdrawal. Do things get better after the withdrawal ends? Just need some hope Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
LoveandLight Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 I have the same concerns..it's very confusing isn't it? The same reasons and symptoms that I wanted to come off is even worse in withdrawal.. 2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare! On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect. Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan. Nightmare that could have been avoided! Link to comment
nz11 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 SP what you are describing is wdl. It is not you its the drug wdl. It will get better . Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted May 28, 2015 Author Share Posted May 28, 2015 I really hope so NZ11, my quality of my life at the moment is making me start to reminisce about the times I was on the 10mg as the 'good days' and I am starting to lose sight of the original reason I wanted to come off the drug. I'm just feeling very disillusioned i am trying to focus on the success stories in this forum to show it does get better Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
Matthew914 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Hi SP sorry to hear that you are struggling. I'm struggling right there with you. These anti depressants suck. I have been on a roller coaster my self since trying to taper off Paxil. You can read my signature but I invite you to search stories by author and search for matthew914 to read about my struggles. We have to rely on each other as that's all we got. Doctors know nothing and friends and family just don't understand. I'm here if you ever need to talk or need support. Stay Strong. Stay Focused. You will get there. Don't quit! Don't ever give up. April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped. March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016 Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016 Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016 Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015 Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015. Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014 Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill. Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted May 28, 2015 Author Share Posted May 28, 2015 Thank you so much Matthew914 your words are so comforting for me, I will read through your posts. You are so true about doctors and family/friends not understanding the last time I saw a doctor he told me to jump right off from my current dosage using valium as a safety net. If wasn't for sites like this I would think I was literally crazy and a medical anomaly for going through what I'm going through. Some of my family just see the withdrawal as evidence I cannot cope without anti depressants and think the seroxat is fixing my 'chemical imbalance' in the way that diabetics take insulin. You cannot blame them though with the way anti depressants are portrayed by the mainstream media as quick fixes. I feel so much more educated now after coming to this site and reading others experiences. This evening I had a much needed window of normality, life seems to make sense again even if it's for a few hours, if I was religious I'd say it was sent my god because I really really needed it right now. i find these are giving me hope that I can get through this and not resort to up dosing again and can stabilise eventually. The battle continues! Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
Matthew914 Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Hi Sweetpetite, glad to hear that you had a great night. Don't we all just want to be normal again? I didn't have a bad one myself. Now home from watching my nieces softball game and I am having small pains on the right side of my head. I seem to have a hard time in the mornings. I just keep holding on to my faith. I'm not a very religious person either but I do believe in God and I pray to him everyday. I would try it if I were you. It might help you. Stay Strong SP. April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped. March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016 Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016 Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016 Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015 Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015. Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014 Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill. Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 HI All, An update and a few questions that have been going round in my head. 4 weeks into the updose now and i have improved, still up and down in waves of around 3/4 days but things seem to be going in the right direction. I plan to stay on this updose for a while until im stable and then start dropping by 5 percent. Thank you again for the advice. Yesterday I experienced situational anxiety for the first time in a long time, caused by a social event. I believe this may be my original issues emerging at lower doses as anxiety associated with withdrawal has always just come out of the blue with no obvious cause. This has made me start to question how do people cope with their original conditions (panic disorder and associated depression in my case) after the anti depressants and when the withdrawal has subsided. I think I now know anti depressants arent the answer at least long term. So I'm doing a lot of research into how to change my lifestyle and using herbal treatments. What have people had most success with? i need to believe that I can live unmedicated. Thanks Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
nz11 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Glad you are feeling improvement SP. Yesterday I experienced situational anxiety for the first time in a long time, caused by a social event. I believe this may be my original issues emerging at lower doses as anxiety associated with withdrawal has always just come out of the blue with no obvious cause. Look i dont know about prior conditions but i reckon this is wdl the cns is very impaired and it will take a long time to heal so i would put this 'prior condition'idea on hold until about 5 yrs drug free. imo. In the meantime run with wdl. i never had sa prior to drugs but i sure had it drug free and still do though it is receding with time...or as my cns heals ...i didnt refer to it as sa though i called it brain shortcircuiting. .due to drug induced brain impairment. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 hi nz11, maybe youre right and I'm jumping the gun a bit. Its strange when i'm going through a window i seem to forget how bad the waves are. i just have concern how i'm going to be once im over the worst of the withdrawal, maybe looking into the future too much for now and need to concentrate on the present stabilising and finally getting off this stuff. You believe the withdrawal brought out SA in yourself? I was shy at school and after starting the seroxat I became a bit of party animal in my 20s, I believe seroxat made me crave alcohol. Now as I'm coming off I'm finding I'm becoming much more introverted, I'm not sure if this is the 'real' me coming through or the withdrawal again. It's all very confusing. I guess one day I will meet the 'real' undrugged none withdrawal symptom affected me, I look forward to that day! Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
Sweetpetite Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Hi sorry to double post, i am still struggling with windows and waves since my updose and am currently in the middle of a bad wave Its been 6 weeks now and i dont know how long i should try and hold to stabilise. i was planning on giving it a few months but the waves are still pretty horrendous and hard to cope with. when should I give up and try a small updose again? What are people's experiences? Thanks for any advice Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted June 16, 2015 Administrator Share Posted June 16, 2015 How much are you currently taking? What is your daily symptom pattern relative to when you take paroxetine? 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
Sweetpetite Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 i am taking 0.8 mg at the moment and have been on it since updosing 6 weeks ago from 0.72 mg after not being able to cope with the withdrawal symptoms I've been up and down I had a week 2 weeks ago where I felt better but i seem to have gone into a bad wave now. Having bad depression, hopelessness, dp/dr, the same as before the updose, its pretty unbearable. I'm trying to hold on and stablise but I'm struggling a lot. I worked out if i had followed the 10% drops every 5/6 weeks as I had done previously I would have only been on the amount I am on now by August so my plan was to try and hold on till then and stablise. I just dont know what the best thing to do is, I'm seriously thinking of updosing again. I don;t want this to affect my relationships and my job and my sanity Any advice appreciated Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted June 17, 2015 Administrator Share Posted June 17, 2015 Do your symptoms have any daily pattern? 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
Sweetpetite Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 I've been tracking them in a diary and they have been better for four days and worse for about four, although now I've been in a wave for over a a week and it doesn't seem to be improving things seem to be getting worse. My symptoms seem worse on an evening than a morning overall Started 20mg Seroxat 2001 (aged 17) for depression and anxiety 2003 - Tried to come off withdrawal/reoccurance of symptoms, put onto 10mg Cytilopram, bad reaction extreme anxietyBack onto 20mg Seroxat 2007 - Another withdrawal attempt (too fast), bad anxiety back upto 20mg Seroxat Approx 2008/9 - reduced down to 10mg to reduce side effects, tiredness,numbness Oct 2012 - Began taper 10% 9.0, 8.1, 7.2, 6.5, 5.9, 5.3, 4.7, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5, 3.1, 2.8, 2.5 approx every 5/6 weeks drop May 2014 - drop by 20% to 2.0 July 2014 - drop by 25% to 1.5 Oct 2014 - drop by 33% to 1.0 Christmas 2014 - worsening symptoms, periods of intense depression lasting for a few days Jan 2015 - drop by 20% Feb 2015 - starting to realise my mistake! drop by 10% to 0.72 period of intense depression, confusion, depersonalisation, derealisation 04/05/2015 - updosed 10% initial manic feelings but still suffering from above intermittantly Link to comment
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