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I started taking 20mg of Latuda near the end of May 2022 for treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. I started taking the drug as recommended, with at least 350 calories of food, until sometime in July where I got annoyed with feeling exhausted after dinner and started taking it right before bed without food. I did not realize that this meant I probably only absorbed 50-75% of those doses. By early to mid August, I began experiencing withdrawal symptoms (unbeknownst to me) including severe anxiety, racing thoughts, SI, fast heart beat, and a lack of appetite. I spoke to my psych about what was happening but she could not determine whether my symptoms were from the drug itself or a withdrawal but later suggested that I "taper" off of the medication. I started taking 10mg of Latuda, with food, from September 19th to September 26th and then went cold turkey. Since I have stopped the Latuda, my anxiety is seemingly getting worse, I have bouts of insomnia, I still have no appetite, my heart rate is regularly raised, and have had some GI concerns as well. I am 2 1/2 weeks off of Latuda and wondering if I should re-instate and, if so, at what dose? Have I passed the point of no return? My psych does not believe that what I am experiencing is withdrawal but rather a return of symptoms and wants me to try another anti-psychotic. I have an appointment with a different psych on Tuesday to discuss. I have been out of work on FMLA to handle the anxiety from this and terrified that I am months away from being anywhere close to who I was before this all started.

I came off 50 mg Sertraline almost from one day to the next. Then threw away Vyvanse from one day to the next. Now, I am trying to come off Seroquel, but I am struggling. Went to the hospital twice in the last couple of weeks because I have a severe lung infection, but the doctors cannot understand why my body won't take in enough oxygen for my oxygen saturation in the blood to be normal. I suggested that it might have to do with the fact that I JUST came off several kinds of meds that had a severe impact on my breathing (I was hyperventilating all day every day), but they just looked at me funny. But it does make sense to me that I am now "hypo ventilating" because my body is out of balance? Am I totally off here? Right now, I wish I could just find a doctor who could let me know whether it is dangerous to "hypo ventilate". I have to sons, and I don't want to die...

Hi Everyone, My journey with Sertraline started at the ripe old age of 10-12 years old (I’m 31 now-my mom and I can’t seem to agree on when exactly I started taking meds). I was also on adderal or vyvanse at this age as well. In 2018 I decided I wanted to try to get off of meds. I started with the vyvanse. I went from 60mg to 50, and dropped 10mg a month until I was at nothing. Really didn’t experience any issues. Then I went to the Sertraline. I dropped from 200mg to 150mg and really only had a few brain zaps that went away after a few days. Six months later I dropped from 150mg to 100mg, again with only brain zaps and some irritability. During this time I moved to France to be with my husband (summer 2020 mid lockdown) and after 6 months there I decided I wanted to continue to go down because we knew in the next year or so we wanted to try for a baby. I had read a few forums so decided to take it a little slower this time. 100mg to 87.5mg. For the first time I experienced a decent amount of withdrawal symptoms. Mostly flu like, palpitations, but nothing I couldn’t get thru. After two weeks they dissipated. I then went directly from 87.5 to 75mg. Same thing with this cut but after a couple weeks, mostly dissipated with the exception of extreme anxiety and random weird intense pains throughout my body. Fast forward to a month later and all hell broke loose. The worst panic of my life (never suffered from panic attacks before besides ONE in late 2020 after moving) horrible horrible DP/DR (mostly DR) to the point that I really thought I was going crazy. I would begin each morning with a good barf and have diarrhea throughout the days. I ended up losing about 12lbs in a few weeks. No appetite. Everything made me feel weird and I cried nonstop. My doctor told me to take a low dose of Xanax three times a day for two weeks and honestly it helped. I stopped the Xanax after three weeks (I decided to continue a little longer) with no issues. Or no immediate issues that I know of. About five months after this in mid 2021 I decided to do a SLOW taper, 2.5-5% every two weeks. I ended up stopping around the 61mg mark because my panic was getting so bad, I had an EIGHT WEEK MIGRAINE and I just couldn’t keep it together. At this point I also had my first intro to inner restlessness, or mild akathisia, located in my chest and under my armpits. This only lasted about a week but really freaked me out. After two and a half months of staying at 61mg I decided to continue to go down, this time no more than 2.5% decreases. It seemed to go ok at this rate. I was still suffering from bad OCD and anxiety but there were no physical symptoms. My last cut was when we moved back to California in Feb 2022, a few months ago. I experienced another bout of weeklong mild inner restlessness at this point but again I ignored it and it went away. Had two weeks of dizziness but was told it was a vestibular migraine. I ended up spot taking bromazepam at a low dose for a couple of weeks because it helped suppress the dizziness. Now two weeks ago, Late April 2022, I was sitting at my desk at work and like a switch I felt the internal restlessness start again. This time more intense than before. It continued at the same intensity and ramped up this weekend. I have such a ball of energy/tickling in my chest and throat that I start each morning dry heaving. I have no appetite. Lost 5lbs in 3 days. This weekend I’ve also had full body tremors and complete panic crying spells and dread because of it and my fear of akathisia being permanent. I don’t know if this had something to do with the bromazepam, late hitting withdrawals from earlier extreme cuts, huge life stressor of moving countries, new job which is very stressful or what. I feel like my CNS is shot and I don’t know what to do. I have to function and work to help provide for my family, being disabled in bed is just not an option but it’s where I’m at today. I caved and took a bromazepam because it calms the akathisia and I couldn’t just lay in bed and roll around in a panic any longer. I really need some help.

Diagnosed with depression since 2000, on meds since 2009. Been through a bunch of psychiatrists and a bunch of meds. I'm stable on 100mg pristiq, 300mg Wellbutrin, 15 mg l-methylfolate, and 10mg Vyvanse. But I hate being dependent on the pharma industry and distribution chains (and my own ability to keep up with my med schedule and travel etc). It's several times landed me in a zappy, off balance, hopeless, self loathing pit of despair. I can't keep doing that. I also wonder... Who am I outside of this drug filter? What do I have to share with the world that are being stifled by the unending tiredness? Why do I keep working on my mental health and coping strategies and continue to need this pharmaceutical support? I eat a lot of fresh vegetables and unprocessed foods. I drink a lot of water and tea, and have switched from coffee to one cup of DOSE (mushroom coffee) a day. I sleep 8:30-5 every night. I've cut out nearly all alcohol. I know that regular, intentional exercise will help me, though I have a very active lifestyle and movement heavy hobbies. I have thought about trying to do an inpatient rapid detox, but this site is making me think that I will need much longer term support. I have two little kids and daily obligations around them as their dad is in the picture but unwilling to be helpful. I tapered down to 25mg pristiq with my current psych over four months and had a several week long crying spell, so I went back up to 50mg and have been parked there. Thank you for being here to support folks like me.

Hello, I've read this forum for a while and it has helped me much. I've been putting off creating my own thread as getting my thoughts straight has been quite difficult. I will attempt to be as accurate as possible but some dates are estimates. I am a 24 year old male. To be brief, as a young teenager I had some trouble fitting in and this presented me with emotional difficulties, Due to prevelence of the idea in the culture, online especially I was led to believe this was something called 'depression' and the treatment was pharmaceutical drugs. At around 15 years old when school was becoming difficult I presented to mental health services seeking allieviation of my struggles. I believed I had ADHD due to difficulty concentrating and this was a popular meme online when researching difficulty with applying yourself to schoolwork and studying. Naturally I pursued medication for this also. After some tests I was diagnosed as having this condition. I was prescribed 100mg sertraline and 50mg vyvanse after some medication trials. This kind of quieted down my negative emotions for sure and it did help me concentrate somewhat on schoolwork. I took these drugs for 7-8 years. I did take a year off sertraline when going to university, but reinstated due to severe difficulties a year later. I switched this to 15mg escitalopram shortly after this reinstatement. this was roughly 2020 I think? I was on the escitalopram for a year or two but it's foggy. And I came to the conclusion it was harming my ability to feel emotions and have meaning in my life so I discontinued after a short taper. For 9 months there were tolerable symptoms such as simple low mood. Something changed at around 9 months in and I started to experience severe distortion of my cognitive functions. I was hence unable to perform but the most simple daily tasks. This was In april 2023 (this year) I believe. I found this forum and related to many of your experiences. This gave me hope for improvement. I am posting here because I am hopeful to one day find the cause of this disease and promote awareness to doctors and the public alike to the systemic changes these drugs can induce. Afterall serotonin mediates processes throughout the entire body, it is not simply the happiness switch but a key player in keeping all the systems of the body functioning properly. One idea I have had is some of these symptoms could be the result of an alteration of blood flow. Serotonin influences blood vessel tone. Reduced blood flow in the brain could explain reduced cognitive ability many experience and potentially reduced blood flow would also result in reduced erection function and PSSD. My blood vessels for example have adapted to a certain serotonin signalling over 7-8 years so it seems feasible to me. I also struggle with exercise, becoming light headed after a simple walk. My reaction time is substantially slower in video games also for example. My hands and feet are constantly cold. I can go into details with symptoms but really they are very much in common with those details by most people who are brought to this website. Anxiety and head pressure, over stimulation etc. I hope this is reasonably coherent, it is difficult! Thank you.

Hello! I’m currently tapering Lamotrigine. I know 10% taper is recommended but I’m extremely overwhelmed by how to do that with these pills. I’ve been on 200mg for 3 years. I tapered to 175 by cutting 200mg tablets and 150mg tablets and taking one in the morning and one in the evening. Did this because I worried it would hit me all at once since cutting them makes them IR. Did this for a week and then went to just the 150 pills, still splitting them since I believe that dosage is IR. I have 150 refills and no 200 refills so getting to that dosage was the first goal. Today is day 9 of 150mg, 75mg morning and 75mg night. I’ve noticed irritability, crying spells, noise and light sensitivity, headaches, restlessness/fidgeting, anxiety, nausea. All manageable except for yesterday and today have been awful. I have propranolol and hydroxyzine prescribed as needed so today decided to take hydroxyzine and it got rid of my anxiety, I felt very calm and collected but sleepy which is a problem. Curious if anyone has used these as bridge drugs? To help cope with the withdrawal symptoms. I also have been taking Vyvanse for a year, and stopped completely cold turkey for 2 weeks. Yesterday I did 150 lamotrigine and 30mg Vyvanse (40mg was my dose) and had an awful day, today I tried 150 lamotrigine and 20mg Vyvanse and not feeling great either… perhaps Vyvanse has to go but the brain fog, irritability, restlessness, from Lamotrigine withdrawal + untreated ADHD is awful!!! Looking into supplements for ADHD, I know supplements aren’t recommended here. I plan to stay at 150mg for the next few months as I’m starting a new job. Then my next goal is to get to 100 and stay there for 3-4 mo. Basically getting to normal prescription amounts for my holds. I’ve been wanting to taper for years. For the last 2 years I’ve been experiencing double vision and blurry vision. Even went through expensive and intense vision rehabilitation. Doctor insists it’s not possible that the Lamotrigine is contributing but I want to see for myself. I also have rapid heart rate and hair thinning. These symptoms have all improved but there could be other factors since I’m on week 3. I was misdiagnosed with bipolar 2, turns out it was ASD and ADHD, so I see no reason to continue Lamotrigine. Although I’ve considered just staying on it because this is hard and very little support… doctors don’t understand but I want to know what I’m like without it. Curious if anyone has any advice or thoughts! Am I completely insane with this approach?

I was on Viibryd for 4 years, I recently completely tapered off in February of 2023. After reading experiences I feel that my doctor DEFINITELY had me taper too quickly. He gave me a tapering schedule to get off of it in 1 month. It was one week at one dosage and then the next week I would go down to the next lowest dosage. Since getting off I have been in a continuous emotional spiral of angry outbursts over the smallest things, obsessive thoughts, debilitating anxiety, inability to handle stressors I previously could and an overall depressive mood. I am at the end of my rope, and I’m contemplating going back on a low dosage to help me cope. My dr. Has me on a 10mg twice daily dose of buspar, and I’m on Vyvanse for adult adhd that was diagnosed 5 years ago. The only thing that has helped me through this is cannabis and therapy. The buspar does little to help with my anxious state. Sometimes I don’t even understand the spiral that is happening in my mind until I’ve come down from it. I don’t want to go back on the antidepressant but I almost feel like I have no choice due to the current stressors in my life owning a business, having a toddler, marriage and teenager who has suffered from mental Illness. I need to know there is a light at the of the end of this dark tunnel, and that it’s not all in my head.

What’s the best way to taper from klonopin ( .5x2) and also vyvanse (50) ? I suffer severe depressive bouts so stopping the vyvanse scares me, but I want off everything. Thanks!

Hello everyone I found this website earlier today whilst feeling particularly despondent about withdrawal symptoms. I've read a few posts and feel like I could have written them. I can't believe so many people are going through the same thing! Bit of history - I'm female, in my 40s, from the UK. Had mental health issues my entire life and began being medicated in my early 20s. I have to say that the drugs did help although nobody could ever really find a reason why I was so depressed and so therapy never really worked. Later in life with A LOT of therapy, I have been able to unlock the Pandora's box of my past and recognised that I experienced some pretty horrible abuse as a child and young adult which is almost certainly at the root of all of this as I never developed a solid sense of self or grounding in the world. I'm currently having therapy to address this which is going slowly but in the right direction. As you can see from my signature I've been on multiple psychotropic medications over the years . Six months ago I finished a taper of opiates I had been prescribed for pain and have been through the most horrific dark night of the soul which I am amazed I made it out the other end of. I am currently tapering my lisdexamfetamine (which I am prescribed for ADHD)as it rapid-cycles my mood and makes me alternate between manic & suicidal all in the same day. Ultimately I'd love to be off all the meds altogether. Right now I am feeling despondent as the lisdex withdrawal is causing hideous hideous brain zaps. I have discovered that lisdex & venlafaxine potentiate eachother so essentially I'm not just withdrawing from one, I'm withdrawing from both and this is what is causing the zaps. Anyone who has experienced them will know just how utterly debilitating they are and make you want to rip your own brain out. I'm actually dubious whether I should have been prescribed both medications together in the first place. I'm not working at the moment due to the withdrawals which is making me feel extreme guilt in addition the the shame at getting myself into this situation. I'm taking various supplements, not sure really if any of them are helping. I do quite a lot of exercise but am also prone to inertia and anhedonia which can make it difficult to find the motivation. Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences and looking forward to being here.

As you can see from my signature, I was diagnosed ADHD in December 2021. This was huge for me - until mid-2021 it had never crossed my mind that I could have ADHD. Generally a high-flyer academically etc. But everything made sense when I got the diagnosis, especially that SSRIs were not the appropriate course of treatment (both when they were originally offered in 2017, and now). ADHD medication has provided the kind of benefits to my life I could only have dreamed of with Sertraline. I know it's time to start tapering off, but I'm finding it tough. I tried once before in 2021 with no joy. Coming down from 150mg to 125mg and then 100mg in a fairly short space of time was brutal, and led to me fainting while standing on one occasion. I've been on a steady 100mg for the past year or so. I've been experimenting with 75mg. Taking it one day a week just to dip my toe in and see how I react. Things felt okay, so I took 75mg for a few days concurrently. The scarring nightmares, terrible sleep, and the spaced-out vibes during the day are back. Am new here, and looking forward to readings others' experiences, but would absolutely love some tips too for my particular circumstance? If it's at all helpful, I eat very healthily and take supplements. Exercise is a challenge, but I'm slowly getting into a routine again. Cheers

Does this living hell of antidepressant withdrawal ever cease? I was prescribed Pristiq just before the age of 14 - I'm 19, turning 20 this year - and have been on a high dose of 150mg for quite some time. I had also been prescribed 2.5-5mg Olanzapine for insomnia (which I've now cut out completely) & 30-40mg Vyvanse (I'm currently on 30mg & hope to eventually taper off that too). I feel so freaking betrayed by the psychiatrists - the root cause of my low mood, self harming behaviours & suicidality was never investigated and almost instantly I was fast-tracked to antidepressants without being warned of the consequences. A young teen experiencing emotional pain, I wanted a quick fix, but little did I know that drugs would never resolve the depression caused by social isolation, loneliness, puberty, & other temporary life stressors. I was put on Olanzapine during an inpatient admission for suicidal ideation in 2017 & again, I wasn't told about any of the side effects, including rapid weight gain. I hated that drug; I gained 5kgs during that short hospital stay, and this was a huge shock - it didn't register that this was because of the antipsychotic until years later. When I started restricting my food intake to try & get back to my initial weight, I was told I had 'anorexia' (without being assessed), thrown back into psych, then outpatient 'treatment' which honestly only did more harm. I didn't realise how harmful psychotropic drugs can be & the lack of evidence behind them, until mid 2022, when I quit the Olanzapine cold-turkey and began to experience awful withdrawal symptoms - I was suddenly bursting into tears for no reason, hyperventilating & had no sleep for days on end. I had no idea what was happening & during one of these panicky breakdowns, I started researching, which led me to a bunch of comment threads of fellow withdrawal sufferers warning others about these drugs- and then this forum. Shortly after, I decided I wanted to get off all my medication altogether & started to reduce the Pristiq dosage too in about June-July 2022 (I reinstated part of the Olanzapine after quitting cold-turkey & am now off it - but rely on 4mg of Melatonin that doesn't always get me to sleep). It was incredibly difficult & the decline in my functioning was so obvious. My creativity fizzled out completely, I feel completely numb all the time, no motivation, no desire for friendships or relationships & I can't find enjoyment in anything. I don't even feel like a person anymore - my personality is dead, I have no hobbies, I can hardly ever get myself to read a book (something I always loved to do), the few emotions I do experience are along the spectrum of irritability, despair, sadness and complete apathy. I have no idea what to do with my life, I don't even know who I am now or what interests me, because nothing does. I hate this dull nightmare- I want it all to end. There isn't anyone in my life who understands this struggle - the GP told me that I could taper by alternating doses (thankfully I knew this was a bad idea from reading this forum). My psychiatrist told me I don't have to bother tapering & other clients of hers had dropped 50mg at a time without any issues - and also that the withdrawal I am experiencing is probably due to external factors rather than coming off the antidepressant I've been taking for 6 years. Unfortunately they don't have the 25mg Pristiq tablet where I live (in Australia), so I don't know how I'll cope when reaching lower doses. Has anyone else here been polydrugged at a young-ish age, and managed to recover & live a fulfilling life after withdrawal? How do you cope, and feel a sense of enjoyment, interest & purpose again? I'm really sorry for my self-pitying woe-is-me ramble- I've wanted to post an introduction for months but things have been hard 😕 Discovering this forum has been a lifesaver, and thank you so much for keeping it going.

Hey so this isn't for me, but I have a friend 5"2 135lb female. who has ADD and has been on Adderall xr 30mg everyday for 9 years since she was 14-years-old now 23. Her new doctor recently decided it is in her best interest to come off the medication so they switched her to 30mg Vyvanse. I do not think this is an equivalent dose for her and she goes into severe withdrawals if she misses her medication by even a couple hours at this point. what can be done for her? she needs a good tapering guide and dosage equivalence. I hope I do not get in trouble for asking for her.

Hello all, Really nervous about introduction posts. I'm a 31 (almost 32)-year old woman. I have severe ADHD and also struggle with anxiety. My anxiety is not formally diagnosed, but I have been impacted by it for my entire life. I have not been medicated for anything until 3 years ago. I have not been able to hold down a single job at all until I started taking stimulants for my ADHD. I am overall extremely health-conscious. I work out 2 times a week at the gym, do regular long-distance runs, and work a physically active full-time labour job (got tired of sitting at a desk). I have also been on a strict carnivore diet for 5 years now. The pandemic sent me into a shock and my hormones went out of whack, where I started having fully sleepless nights before my periods etc. I experienced this before when I was in school/university due to stress, too, but could not handle the impact of lack of sleep on my physical performance. This is mainly why I decided to get on Lexapro. My basic medication history is in my signature. About a year in, I felt like the Lexapro was no longer really adding anything to my life, while making me feel more lethargic and giving me other physical issues (e.g., uncontrollable hunger and thirst, frequent bathroom trips). I also no longer take stimulants daily as I felt like they would build up and wear me out after using for multiple days in a row. I would usually take them as-needed for work or other tasks. Vyvanse is really effective at treating my anxiety as long as I take regular tolerance breaks from it. While tapering off Lexapro, though, my nervous system has become destabilized and it has been difficult to take even a single day's break and to vary the times I take my stimulant meds. I understand that consistently dosing all other prescription medications is key during AD withdrawals. However, I work an inconsistent schedule (sometimes early 7am shifts, sometimes shifts that go as late as 10pm). My prescription does not last me at the effectiveness I need at work for the whole day from 7am to 10pm. I used to take a higher dose depending on when my shift is, but cannot anymore until my system is stabilized. As a result I am forced to updose for my total stimulant amount used throughout the day (with doctor's approval) if I am to use every day at fixed times. I do not like taking the highest effective daily dose like this regularly; it really feels rough on my sensitive system right now. I also inevitably develop tolerance especially when it comes to using the stimulant to treat my anxiety, feel less rested in the long run, etc. Does anyone have any advice on how I could optimize my stimulant dosage here while tapering, given my circumstances, while giving my system as much of a chance to recover as possible? I need to figure this out before jumping off Lexapro. My last Lexapro dose drop is taking me a really long time to stabilize from, possibly because I switched to a stronger stimulant and then increased my stimulant amount when experimenting with consistent dosing times. I should also mention that I have never had this much trouble taking breaks from my stimulants. Before, I would just be a little bit more tired and anxious on days I did not take my stimulant; I could still get basic things done at home. Now, the brain zaps, body aches, and muscle rigidity make me completely non-functional, even if I just reduce my amount by a bit or shift the time of use slightly. I am pretty sure these changes are delaying my stabilization in terms of Lexapro tapers, too. Just to be clear, I do not intend to be completely med-free. I am hoping to be only on one medication (stimulant) in the end, which is far more manageable for me.

Hi there. So very glad to have found this site. Such a relief to see well-meaning and intelligent information around this topic. My query is around tapering. I just finished tapering off of 'half' my total dose of Escitalopram. I did it over approximately an 11 month period (would need to verify that amount as I think it may have been more) by eliminating a certain percentage of a tablet starting 1 day/week. All the other 6 days, I took the prescribed amount. (FYI, my family doctor was aware and supportive of my plan.) I followed that regime for at least a month at a time or until any residual withdrawal symptoms appeared to be over. Then, I moved to 2 days/week and so forth. Is this type of taper method unsafe? I ask because I still have half my original dosage to taper off of in the future. However, I am pausing that medication to work on tapering another - Vyvanse. Of course, it being a stimulant, I want to be extra careful. I am currently using capsule form and started tapering 2 days ago - taking only 1 of the 2 capsules I would normally take in a day. I am on low doses of each of the meds I am on. (currently 3 different types - anti-anxiety, stimulant and mood stabilizer) Two days ago was day 1 of tapering the Vyvanse, with the idea to use same method as with the Escitalopram. However, I started to wonder if this was actually a good idea. I went on to the internet and after reading the article: "What I have learnt from helping thousands of people taper off antidepressants and other psychotropic medications", I thought it important to reach out and ask. Thank you so much in advance for providing this forum to discuss. I look forward to hearing people's thoughts on this. Deean

About 15 years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD and OCD. I started seeing a physiatrist that put me on the combination of Straterra and Vyvance for ADHD, Trileptal and Trintellix for depression/mood stabilizer and Prozac for OCD. I have been on this mix of medication for more then 5 years. I think I am not ready to start weening myself off this medication, because I am in a very good place mentally. The last time I tried to stop Prozac I went from 50 mg to 0 over 5 weeks, but I think that it was way too fast and I had to go back to my previous doze. Looking back, I should have questioned all this medication when my doctors was prescribing it, but now I feel stuck and not sure where to begin. Hoping someone here has some suggestions.

Hello all! I started Lexapro in 2012, was on that for a year and tapered off, no issues. Started again in November 2019, 10mg. Increased dosage to 20mg in August 2020. Continued until July 2022, decreased to 10mg. Began tapering off through July and August (don't remember the exact steps) and stopped around the end of August. The reason for stopping was that I felt it was affecting my sexual function. Mostly just libido and desire. I did not have these issues prior to the second round of Lexapro. At the time of withdrawal I was also taking Vyvanse 50mg (ADHD), which I thought was making my ADHD worse. I found myself more "stuck" (executive dysfunction, lack of motivation) and apathetic than when I was on Adderall. I realize now that this may have been due to the Lexapro. Unfortunately, the "stuck" feeling and sexual dysfunction has persisted. Feelings and the way I interact with the world feels blunted. I don't even think about sex with my partner and don't find myself turned on by anything (so it's not just an issue with my partner). However, finding this group and subreddits have made me realize that while this is not my ideal, I am not broken or wrong and that there are others like me. Seeing others recover and make progress brings me hope. I am so grateful to know that there is a path forward regardless of the extent of my progress. Thanks for being here

I'm a 60-Year-old male, ex-smoker for 30 years ~1 pack per day. Quit smoking on March 1, 2022. I started taking antidepressants in 2000. Tried various antidepressants that didn’t work (i.e. Prozac, zoloft). At some point I started taking Adderall. I can’t remember for how long and the dosage. In ~2013 I started taking 20mg Lexapro and 50mg Vyvanse, which worked like a charm. Prescription history: Lexapro 20 mg 2013 through October 2019 Lexapro 10 mg October 2019 through April 2021 Lexapro 5 mg April 2021 through March 2022 Vyvanse 50 mg 2013 through May 2022 In February I was prescribed 1mg Finasteride for hair loss, which I took for 40 days. When I realized the side effects (mainly Low Libido), which triggered my anxiety. blood test revealed low levels of Free Testosterone and Estradiol. Approximately a month later I started feeling my Tinnitus which became increasingly bothersome as time progressed. My depression and anxiety levels were becoming increasingly elevated. June 27th - I tested positive for Covid and had to stay in isolation for 7 days. This added to my depression and anxiety which became frequent panic attacks. In the beginning of July I went back on Lexapro and Vyvanse in hopes to reverse the severe reaction that I was having. I'm now on 20mg Lexapro and 50mg Vyvanse. Still experiencing brain buzz, anxiety and depression as well as dizziness and vertigo. Anybody with insights to what I am going through and advise would be greatly appreciated!!!

I've been on 150mg XL Buproprion (generic Wellbutrin) for approximately 6 years. 1 month ago, I added Vyvance 50mg per day, for ADHD. It was magnificently helpful. Except the day I started it, was the day I noticed a high-pitched sound. I thought I was finally hearing "the sound of silence" since my mind was so much calmer. Took me about a month to realize/accept this was, in fact, tinnitus. The onset of which started the same day I started Vyvance. So I stopped the Vyvance cold turkey a week ago. Tinnitus isn't a recognized possibility from Vyvance, but I've just learned that it sure is for Buproprion. So I want to go off Buproprian ASAP, in the desperate hope the tinnitus will stop. I realize the chances are slim, but I can't keep taking an ototoxic drug now that I have tinnitus. I am losing my mind. I've read the threads about tapering, and about tapering off Buproprion. My question is - in the case of something like a new onset of tinnitus - is a slow taper still recommended? Or is this a case of "get off it as quickly as possible and hope for a miracle"? The idea of continuing to poison my system with a known ototoxin for over a year with a slow taper seems like insanity... However, going cold turkey might or might not also be literal insanity. AND a future of being non-medicated for both ADHD and dysthymia seems... also like insanity. Thoughts & help appreciated, thanks.

Hello everyone, Im currently 21 years of age and have been taking Vyvanse at 60mg and Zoloft at 100mg for 14 years as I was diagnosed with pretty severe ODD as a child. I began taking Klonopin 3/2020. Fast forward to 4/2021- I’m currently in a state of just pure confusion is what it feels like. My appetite is out of whack. I will go a couple days eating maybe 2000 calories total then just eat like I’ve never seen food before. Same goes for my sleep, I’ll feel tired at some points then all of the sudden hit with a jolt of energy out of nowhere usually around 11-12pm. My memory is at an all time worst. I find myself forgetting nearly everything unless I tell myself in my head in the moment, “Hey, you need to remember this”. My mood is just so severely unstable I can’t commit to anything or follow through. I’ll be up for 24 hours then sleep for 12 then wake up and feel like I still need more sleep. The main symptom that is absolutely driving me up a wall is anxiety. And I feel like it’s getting worse every day even though I’m trying to put myself in situations I used to not think twice about, now it feels like every thing I say to anyone that I don’t know well, haven’t seen in a while, and especially with girls. I have isolated myself the past few years from any intimate relationships and it has resulted in me feeling like I’m living with that “awkward feeling”, or the “butterflies in your stomach” everyone knows. And it doesn’t go away even when i force myself to do something I’m not comfortable with. Like I want to be able to talk and conversations like I used to and every time I push myself to do something I’m not comfortable with I can’t stop thinking, “did I look like a loser”, “what if she thinks I’m weird”. In essence, my self confidence has been completely destroyed within the matter of a few months. I feel my trust in doctors is lost, as I’ve never had success with medication and switching them around. I don’t know if it’s my mind freaking itself out or the meds themself. Im dying for some stability. I just don’t know. It feels like I’ve exhausted so many options and that my brain is broken.

My college age daughter is now home with us after her first manic episode. We think she stopped sleeping due to Vyvanse, which is a stimulant she was prescribed for ADHD a few months ago. She swears it's the only thing that got her through school last semester, but that she'd told the dr the dose was too high. Anyway, even two weeks in the hospital didn't get her down from the mania, or even sleeping that well. They started with zyprexa, and just kept adding and adding things and discharged her. She's been adamant she doesn't want to take clonazepam, so have been cutting down that since she wasn't on it long. She's been out of hospital not quite one month, and saw an outpatient dr 3 times who gave instructions on how to reduce that and not to change more than one medication at a time. Unfortunately that dr moved away at the end of Feb, and there is a three week gap till she can see the dr taking over her care. She wasn't even out of mania yet. She has been sleeping A TON for about a week and a half, like 14-16 hours a day, and seems to be falling into depression. Her coordination and alertness has improved since cutting down the clonazepam. She's going to the rock climbing gym and writing songs. Anyway, I am wondering if there if more harm from leaving her on such a large dose of Zyprexa than there is dropping it down, since it's still early in the game and we don't seem to have any help. She's having hangry attacks every couple of hours, sometimes huge crying jags that only respond to food, and has always had huge blood sugar swings. I know being on three mood stabilizers makes it much much worse plus weight gain. I called the outpatient dr's nurse (who has never seen her), no answer back. I called the inpatient dr, they told me to call the outpatient. When her Dr moved away, I asked the desk what to do if she has a problem since this is critical stage, and they said go to the ER. Geez. BTW I have my own history of two manic episodes and pretty stable on lithium, although her ordeal took a toll on me too. After visiting the hospital twice a day I hugged my lithium like it was my bff.

Hey everyone! Just wanted to introduce myself and let you all in on my journey and discontinuation of antidepressants. I am 28 years old and just ended an 11 year relationship with AD's. There was so much shame I felt being on these drugs. I felt like I was this great person because of the pills I was taking and nothing more. I wouldn't dare tell a soul I was taking antidepressants for fear that they would then see the pill and not me. Make sense? I said goodbye to Sertraline in November 2017. After completing yoga teacher training and having this new perspective of myself and my life, I started to actually feel the chemicals that weren't meant to be in my body. I had tried tapering off of Sertraline 3 times prior to the last over the past few years. The previous tries I would make it about a month or two before surrendering back to the pills to make myself feel better if I started feeling sad or uneasy. This time was different. VERY different. This time I started with intense research. I wanted to discontinue the dosage but this time was for real; I would do my homework and get off of these things once and for all. And what I found first broke my heart, made me angry and then gave me hope. The anger is still present when I try to find a reason 'why' people are enslaved to these prescription drugs. The research I found led me to this site, and I continue to research the effects and harms that these medications actually do to people, unbeknownst to them. The cause of our sadness is residual, stagnant energy trapped in our bodies from a traumatic event or life experience that changed our perspective of what is. When we take these medications, we are never actually dealing with the source of our problems, rather than masking it over with a clouded perception of reality. I used to love my prescriptions. Even after I would attempt to quit, that love would return after I felt 'better' taking them again. I was prescribed my first antidepressant when I was 16. I was missing a lot of school because I slept in too late. I just loved my sleep. Eventually, I was sent to the PCP to see what could be done about this sleeping problem.. Well, her answer was Citalopram (Celexa). This was the beginning of a battle I never wanted to be involved with but here I am. And P.S. the sleeping issue was not resolved in any way thereafter. To keep it short, I will just give you a brief history of how my dance with prescription drugs evolved after that: 2006 Celexa (Citalopram) 40 mg & Adderall XR 75 mg (a lot of the times more because I was heavily addicted) 2007 Citalopram & Ritalin (don't remember mg) .. soon after Vyvanse (don't remember mg) and finally to Amphetamine Salts due to unpleasant side effects from the Ritalin & Vyvanse.. ** indicates time period where Amphetamine Salts were prescribed 2008 ** Citalopram 40 mg-> Effexor XR 75 mg after a psychiatric evaluation (which I now understand was due to the medications and the effect they had on me mentally ... psh) 2009** Effexor XR 75 mg - Paxil (Paroxetine) 30 mg due to the INSANELY high cost of Effexor without insurance I was forced to wean myself off and switch 2010** Paxil 30 mg-> Sertraline 50 mg due to weight gain and lethargy 2011-2013 Sertraline 50 mg -> Wellbutrin (Bupropion Hcl) 75 mg due to sexual side effects and wanting to feel alive again 2013-2017 Wellbutrin 75 mg -> Back to Zoloft (Sertraline) 75 mg because the anxious side effects of the Wellbutrin made me uneasy and Sertraline seemed to be the only AD that had the least side effects at the time 2017 Sertraline 75 mg -> slow taper to 50 MG for two weeks -> halving the dosage & following this pattern until there was nothing -> 5 HTP 50 mg & 1200 mg Fish Oil NOW = 1200 mg Fish Oil and becoming accustomed to an Ayurvedic diet along with daily yoga practice**** this is HUGE and one of the main reasons I have remained clean from AD's Now, almost two months clean from prescription drugs I can say that there is still lots of work to be done. When you go through your teenage years and early twenties on AD's, you need to relearn how to interact and react as there is no longer that pill keeping you numb. Everything becomes real and raw. There are still days that I have my emotions consume my entire being in a negative way and I am still working on this. I WILL NOT GIVE UP. As of right now, it seems as though I am taking off from where I left off at 16 years old. This means emotionally and re actively along with maturity and sexuality. As many of you can relate, I could go on with this topic and how it has effected my entire life for ever and ever. There will be more posts that follow in regards to these drugs and how we can help each other become clean and free once again as we were made to be. Love and blessings to you all <3 we CAN do this..we are all in this together! LB Anti-depressants controlling tools of your system Making life more tolerable, making life more tolerable. The Unthinking Majority - Serj Tankian

Hey I am girl from Denmark. I am on my way of Adjuvanz (aka Vyvanse - see this post) and risperidon risperidone . I feel its quite hard. Specially the risperidon has a lot of withdrawal symptoms such as tiredness, mood swings, strange feelings at my skin and whole system. I started at 0,75 mg and now i am 0,40. I tried to stop for two days ago, but to day it has been totally awfull. I wish there was a guideline, which could show me for how long the withdrawal symptoms would last. Adjuvanz is now 70 mg. Starting with 120 mg. Its not so hard yet, but I think it will be harder, when I get down to 50 mg and below. I am glad, that I found this forum and hope to get helping advice and maybe being able to help others.

(edit: sorry, thought the below code would show up as nice organized tables for yall. i'll fix it when i feel less knackered) Date Dose Time Medicine Reason Prescribing MD 3/2012 - 7/2015 37.5 mg 4am-6am Effexor XR Anxiety/Depression Pdoc 1 (retired spring 2015) 7/2017 - 9/2015 increased to 150 mg 4am-6am Effexor XR intrusive thoughts Pdoc 2 (stopped accepting insurance) 7/2014 - 7/2015 50 mcg 4am-6am Levothyroxine Hypothyroidism Endocrinologist (cleared me to let my GP handle my thyroid disorder) 7/2015 - present 37.5 mcg 4am-6am Levothyroxine Hypothyroidism GP 8/2016 - 5/2017 20 mg to 60 mg 4am-6am Vyvanse Fatigue Pdoc 3 5/2017 - 2/2018 60 mg 4am-6am Vyvanse Fatigue Pdoc 3 2/2018 - 5/2018 decreased 50 mg 4am-6am Vyvanse Decreased due to heart palpitations Pdoc 3 5/2018 -present 250 mg morning 125 mg afternoon 125 mg Armodafinil Fatigue Sleep doc Other notes: I've had my Vitamin D, Iron, B12, and thyroid levels checked at least once a year since 2014. - Most recent sleep study in February 2018. - Sleeping with an APAP since March 2018. Getting a CPAP titration in a couple of weeks because it keeps waking me up every night despite my getting over a dozen adjustments with the sleep tech. - I don't plan on stopping the other drugs. I'm only interested in support for tapering off Vyvanse. - In the past, I tapered from 60 mg of Vyvanse to 50 mg. I took 55 mg for three days (it was the last of my 60 mg prescription, so I couldn't taper longer than that) without noticeable withdrawal. I started 50 mg on day 4. Then on day 5, I had a bunch of work stress and family stress and felt super buzzy/tired for the next week. Considering tapering more slowly, maybe in 2.5 mg intervals. - I honestly feel pretty crappy today. buzzy, tired. been focusing on eating lots of protein (grilled chicken), vegetables, drinking lots of water. Super stressed at work but honestly I don't know when I *won't* be stressed about work. Diary: 5/30/2018 Time Dose and med Symptoms 5 am am 150 mg Effexor XR 125 mg Armodafinil 37.5 mcg Levothyroxine 45 mg Vyvanse None 8 am n/a Tired 11:30 am 125 mg Armodafinil tired/low motivation/buzzy/mildly nauseaus/mild hot flashes/forgetfulness

Hi I am 43 and have been on numerous psychiatric drugs for over 20 years. I’ve been diagnosed with so many different mental health labels and have been on psych drugs for all. Over the last 8 years I have been basically bedridden. During the past two years I’ve had to fend for myself when I decided I wanted off all these pills. They have only made me worse. 2 yrs ago I came off cold turkey Abilify, Latuda and 20 mg of fluoxetine. I felt great until 3 weeks in the withdrawals set in. I haven’t felt well since but have managed to wean off 70 mg of vyvanse, 1 mg of clonazepam, 15 mg diazepam and 10 mg of fluoxetine. I am now working on the last 10 mg of fluoxetine. After that I’ll start tapering my trazadone or more of the benzos. All-of this has been a nightmare, nausea,vomiting, headaches etc. I can not leave my house most of the time because of debilitating anxiety. I guess what Im looking for here is information, support, and ideas on diet ( no gallbladder and severe GERD) and tips on helping withdrawal symptoms. I feel like I can’t think properly,my memory is shot and right now I really need some hope. Also I’ve gained 70 lbs.

Hello all, I had a very traumatic childhood in which I was abused physically, verbally, and emotionally by my father. After graduating high school, I moved out of state in an attempt to save myself from being a victim any longer. About 6 months after I had moved out, I was at my breaking point. I had been going to my college's counseling center for 4 months, but only found myself feeling worse and worse. Here I am, 2.5 years later, and am on prozac, vyvanse, seroquel, and hydroxine. I want to begin tapering off of these meds, as I already know that my body has been damaged by them. In fact, the prozac has caused me to have scary thoughts, and in response today my doctor wanted to increase the prozac from 40 to 60 mg, reduce the seroquel, and start me on trazodone. I hate the way I feel on these medications and want to get of them, as they have made me into someone I am not. I feel very absent minded, now struggle immensely with schoolwork where I used to be in all advanced classes with a 4.0, and am unable to work as I have previously reached my breaking point when trying to work and go to school full time. I am engaged to a wonderful man who supports me in every way possible, and is ready to take on this journey with me to get off of these horrible medications so that we can live out our lives together. I am concerned about what may happen when I taper off, such as becoming unable to do my schoolwork at all (which has happened before and I had to take a year off of school), but do not want these medications to do more harm to my body than they already have.