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Using Dr. Glenmullen's checklist to track symptom patterns and progress


Karma

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ADMIN NOTE You may be asked to keep daily notes in a chronological format, which is different from rating the intensity of your symptoms according to Dr. Glenmullen's checklist, which also might be of interest to you.

 

We may ask you to keep a daily symptom diary in this simple list formatHere's how to respond to our request for 24 hours of daily symptom notes:

 

6 AM woke with anxiety

8 am took 2.5 mg lexapro

10 am stomach is upset

10:30 am ate breakfast

11:35 am got a headache, lasted one hour

12:35 ate lunch

4 pm feel a bit better

5 pm took 2.5 mg lexapro

6 pm ate dinner

9:20 pm headache 

10:00 pm took 50 mg Seroquel

10:30 pm feeling dizzy

10:30 pm fell asleep 

2:30 am woke, took 3 mg Ambien

2:45 am fell asleep

4:30 am woke, but got back to sleep 

6 AM woke with anxiety

8 am took 2.5 mg lexapro

10 am feel nauseous

 

This does not rate intensity of symptoms but WHEN symptoms occur relative to your drug doses. This is important to understanding the effects of your drugs. Drug adverse effects tend to be most prominent shortly after taking the drug.

 

If you wish, you could indicate intensity of symptoms following the Glenmullen checklist along with the other events in this format, but we still need to know the timing of your symptoms and drug doses.

 

The daily notes technique is explained here:

 

The following topics discusses ways to track your symptoms for your own use that are more complex. If a staff member requests you post daily symptoms notes, please use the simple list format, not the charts you might see below.

 

Also see Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist in this topic Read this to identify withdrawal symptoms.

 

Daily Symptom Tracking Template (docx download)

Daily Symptom Tracking Template (pdf download)


 

Alto suggested that I start a topic on this because I've mentioned it several times to members.

I rate my symptoms daily on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being "awful, I feel like I'm dying, I can't take it any more", 10 being "great, flipping fantastic!", a 7 is when I feel the symptom, but I can tolerate it and get through the day - so for me a 7 is acceptable. Before I decrement my dosage I want at least two weeks of 7 or better in my symptom ratings ... especially anxiety and depression.

I rate my sleep the next morning and I rate anxiety, depression, ringing in my ears, pain, etc. at night. In the morning I go through the list and rate my sleep from the night before - I make a note next to some of the other symptoms, e.g. Aches & Body Pains - slight pain in right wrist AM, Anxiety - none AM, Ringing in the ears - mild AM, moderate by noon - that way I have reminders of how I've felt throughout the day to accurately rate my symptoms in the evening.

It doesn't matter if my 7 and your 7 are different - this rating system is for you. Once you start thinking about how the specific symptom felt during the day compared to the day before, you will begin to see when a specific symptom is improving or deteriorating. I find it really helpful when I am trying to tweak thyroid treatment or determine when I'm through initial withdrawal symptoms associated with decrementing my dosage.

Below are all of the things I rate daily - note that some of these symptoms are no longer a problem for me and generally get a rating of a 10. But I started this in 2008 when I was healing from celiac disease and getting my thyroid treatment optimal from hashimoto's thyroiditis. I had bone and muscle pain, fatigue and energy challenges, so should any of those problems come back I want to be able to detect it. E.g. the wrist pain I have is tendonitis and for me it is an indicator of whether my thyroid treatment is optimal.

Aches & Body Pains, Anxiety, Appetite, Energy, Ringing in the Ears, Fatigue, Mood (flat, upside or downside of flat, joyful, irritable), Drowsiness or Sleepiness in AM or during the day, Night sweats/day sweats, and Bowels/Digestion.

You should rate your symptoms, these are just examples of my symptoms.

Karma

 

Edited by Altostrata
merged topics and updated

2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax

200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg
Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg;

1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg
Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor


I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers

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Karma, I do this too, and I'm always suggesting it to other people too. It has been really helpful to me.

 

Somehow my subjective assessment of my symptoms is just wonky. I think it's just another way that the meds and the withdrawal screw up my frontal lobe function, my judgment and such.

 

And I've seen the same thing happen with other people on the forums. You can tell by reading their posts that their symptoms have waxed and waned but they themselves seem to be unaware of the changes.

 

Now, after two years of tapering, I don't use the log as much as I did at first. I still use it, just not daily. I've found certain signposts--certain kinds of thoughts or sensations or behaviors--that I use as "markers" now, of how symptomatic I am or am not. But--that's with two years of practice. I wouldn't have gotten such clarity without the log, I'm pretty sure.

 

One of my withdrawal symptoms (actually one of my markers, now) is a recklessness about cutting more, an urge to cut more and faster. So having the chart (I use a chart, charting my daily dosages and symptoms together) has saved me from disaster several times.

 

I especially always recommend charting of symptoms for people who are holding. It seems really common for people to hold and then even though from their writing it's clear that they're more rational and calm after a while, they tend to claim that the hold hasn't done any good at all. I can't say for sure one way or another of course, so I always recommend keeping a log so they'll have some objective data to tell them if the hold is helping. (I generally advise to hold until the improvements plateau out--that is, the numbers in the chart are staying the same for a long time.)

 

So anyway. Thanks for bringing this up. Now there are two of us! :D

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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I've started to do that too! For my sleep mostly so I can see if my sleep problems follow any pattern. I am trying to figure out a rating system now and then I will make monthly graphs to look for patterns.

a.k.a JMarie

Paxil since Mar.1998

2006-2007:40-20mg
2009: 20mg to 14mg 2010: 14mg to 10.5mg 2011: 10.5 to 7.6mg  2012: 7.5 to 6.8mg

2013: 6.7-6.3mg 2014: 6.2mg-5.8mg 2015: 5.7 to 5.15mg 2016: 5.1-4.6mg

1/19/17: 4.5mg 3/17/17: 4.4mg

6/15/17: 4.35mg 8/10/17: 4.3mg

1/29/18: 4.1mg 5/07/18: 4.0mg

7/31/18: 3.9mg

 

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I keep track of my sleep patterns on a calendar, with symbols:

 

X normal sleep

 

/ (slash) 6-7 hours

 

_ (long dash) 4-6 hours in long stretches

 

-- (broken dash) 4-6 hours broken sleep

 

(half-round hoop, this is the best symbol I could find) 2-4 hours

 

0 (goose egg, zero) 0-2 hours

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.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Sorry, I should have given more detail. In my previous taper, I was dropping every month, but only had a day or two of "stable" in between. It was quite a rollercoaster, and not at all a success... This time I was wondering if there was a plateau duration I should be aiming for - not so much drop by the calender, but by "been stable for 7 days" or whatever.

 

This time, so far, I've had very minor symptoms which have passed, but I've only had one small drop. I've even had a positive improvement in one department.

 

Best wishes

Bubbles

 

I taper in a different way, smaller cuts more often, with intermittent holds when symptoms ramp up, so not sure if my experience is really relevant. But for me, I think just a couple of days isn't really long enough to be sure that I'm stable.

 

Stable is kind of relative anyway, for me, it's more like "definitely feeling much better almost all the time and not really wobbly at all." For me, it does take five days to a week of feeling that way before I really feel confident some actual stabilization and healing has taken place.

 

Hence the usefulness of keeping track of symptoms, because when I have my daily ratings of symptoms to look at, it's easier to see if there's a definite leveling off.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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  • 2 months later...
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ADMIN NOTE www.drglenmullen.com seems to be closed.

 

The checklist is here (PDF will download) glenmullen_symptoms_AS Appendix 1.pdf 

or http://drglenmullen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/AS-Appendix-1.pdf

 
Our esteemed member ChessieCat has provided these resources:

PDF Monthly List of Dr Glenmullen's Symptoms to Print & PDF Monthly List BLANK to Print
 
Excel Spreadsheet Monthly format of Dr Glenmullen's Symptoms to use on the computer

(NOTE:  once downloaded you will need to Enable Editing which appears at the top of the screen in a yellow highlighted strip)
 

Dr. Glenmullen's Symptom Record for Month in Google Sheets created by our member @CeruleanSea 

To use:

- click in the link. you will see a file.

- to use/edit:  go to File-->Make a Copy, create a copy and save in your own Google Drive space to edit. 

 

Related topics:

Rate symptoms daily to track patterns and progress

What symptoms should I expect while tapering?

Papers on diagnosis of antidepressant withdrawal syndrome

Guides to tapering off psychiatric medication



Hi Glenmullen has provided a checklist of withdrawal symptoms available here [see below] I found this helped me put 2 and 2 together in terms of the diverse range of symptoms I was experiencing (some obvious ones I had identified as withdrawals, others I thought were an unfortunate coincidence : ). The checklist got me on the right page as such. Its also helpful to track changes with dose reductions and to take to Dr's appts. I have printed a heap of them odd and have them in a folder. It can help gps understand and accept what you are saying It may not be perfect but I think it helps to get your head around it and short circuits reading a lot of stuff Don't know if you want to put this with the intro stuff or start a thread for it or ... And I don't know how to make it a link as such Dalsaan

 

 

 

Edited by Altostrata
updated

Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist.

Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014.

Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September.

Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015.

Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15).

Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past.

 

DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017

 

>My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan

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Thanks, dalsaan. A valuable addition to our Tapering section.

 

I thought Joseph Glenmullen's book The Antidepressant Solution was excellent. His tapering schedule is moderate, but he specifies over and over that it should be slowed if needed for the individual.

 

It's also a good book to give to your doctor. Joseph Glenmullen is a Harvard psychiatrist. The book has a complete citation section.

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.

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Nice! You could totally print out a bunch of those and use them to journal and keep track of your symptoms.

 

I think keeping a journal of symptoms and ranking them on a scale is really useful in withdrawal. Our subjective sense of how well or poorly we're doing is often not so great during withdrawal. I've seen it in myself and I've seen it in other people. The journal helps me see more objectively the patterns of ups and downs and how I respond to cuts and holds.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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  • 2 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

I read the book "Coming off Antidepressants" by Joseph Glenmullen, and I always recommend it to people thinking of tapering, that book was my big lightbulb moment when I suddenly understood what was going on and that I was experiencing withdrawals, it is still available on Amazon and I can really recommend it.

*** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***





http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/
Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007.
Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. 

A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido.

 

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Thanks, dalsaan. A valuable addition to our Tapering section.

 

I thought Joseph Glenmullen's book The Antidepressant Solution was excellent. His tapering schedule is moderate, but he specifies over and over that it should be slowed if needed for the individual.

 

It's also a good book to give to your doctor. Joseph Glenmullen is a Harvard psychiatrist. The book has a complete citation section.

 

I used his book as the template to doing my withdrawal. However, I should add that he writes in his book that imipramine withdrawal is limited to flu like symptoms for the most part and that the recommended decrease is 50 mg per month or so. That's about as far off from my experience as on gets. I think he's got the SSRIs pretty accurately, but there's not much info on other ADs like imipramine or perhaps taking it for 16 years is the factor. Who knows? But he didn't really acknowledge the severity of withdrawal that imipramine users can face and for the most part the book is about SSRI users, yet I have most of the right hand column from that sheet. Not all, thankfully, but a lot of it. I also had parts of the left hand column but they are mostly diminished. So in a way he's right, just didn't give it much coverage. My main withdrawal symptoms are physical at this point with some random emotional ones mixed in but I think they tend to be just coping with what I've been and am going through (like crying a lot or varied emotions which there's not way an experience like this would not cause a person to have a myriad of emotions to deal with).

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I think you're right he does concentrate on the newer SSRI's, or that's the impression I get, he doesn't seem to address the older style tricyclic antidepressants.

 

No, he doesn't. I was on the older ones - imipramine. I actually think that bodes better for someone who has been on an older one. The SSRIs are where this discontinuation syndrome or whatever more pleasant crock of hooey name they're calling it is where the focus is because it's more severe, sadly. Imipramine got a few pages toward the back and he was pretty far off in my case though he did say flu like symptoms seem to be the main withdrawal for tricyclics and most of mine (barring during worst parts of a withdrawal phase after a reduction) have generally been in the physical domain. I can pretty much go straight down that right hand column a check several of them. They seem to cycle as the diminish. Two good days then a worse day. Sort of like that. So actually, I'm going to take that as a sign of getting past this permanently.

 

Your impression is accurate. I guess it's because the SSRIs, when they came out, was when docs started handing them out like pez candies thinking they were this miracle drug. I was lucky in that they had an immediate horrific effect on me so I never got put on them for more than a few months. Some, just weeks. That was decades ago.

 

So this doctor is good for SSRIs, but that's his area. Much like my doc who knows about the issue with SSRIs, but is stunned at what I've been going through. Cie la vie. I'll get through it. It improves gradually. I had just expected once I was off and not decreasing any longer the withdrawal would go away and I'd have been fine within a month.

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I wonder if The Antidepressant Solution and Coming off Antidepressants (a much better title) are the same book? It doesn't seem Coming off Antidepressants was published in the US.

 

strawberry, is this table of contents from The Antidepressant Solution the same? http://books.simonandschuster.com/Antidepressant-Solution/Joseph-Glenmullen/9780743288989/excerpt Table of Contents

Contents

Preface 1. Antidepressant Withdrawal and Dependence: Defining the Problem

2. Resolving the Controversy over "Addiction" to Antidepressants: The BBC Exposé

3. The Withdrawal Spectrum: Mild, Moderate, and Severe Withdrawal Reactions

4. How Changing the Dose of Antidepressants Up or Down May Make Patients Suicidal

5. Worst Offenders: The Antidepressants that Cause the Most Frequent Withdrawal Reactions

6. The 5-Step Antidepressant Tapering Program: How to Avoid Uncomfortable or Dangerous Withdrawal Reactions

7. Step 1. Evaluating Whether You Are Ready to Try Tapering Off Your Antidepressant

8. Step 2. Making the Initial Dosage Reduction

9. Step 3. Monitoring Withdrawal Symptoms After a Dosage Reduction

10. Step 4. Making Additional Dosage Reductions

11. Step 5. The End-of-Taper Evaluation 12. Tapering Children Off Antidepressants Afterword Appendix 1: Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms

Appendix 2: Graph of an Antidepressant Withdrawal Reaction

Appendix 3: Tapering Older Tricyclic and Heterocyclic Antidepressants

Appendix 4: Tapering Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor Antidepressants

Notes

Acknowledgments

Index

Edited by Altostrata
fixed text

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.

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Hi Alto, just looked in my well thumbed copy and it appears to be identical so obviously mine is a UK/European copy, wonder why they gave them different titles?

*** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***





http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/
Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007.
Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. 

A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido.

 

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They probably realized Coming off Antidepressants is a much better title! The Antidepressant Solution gives the exact opposite impression.

 

Dr. Glenmullen should update it and reissue it under Coming off Antidepressants.

 

I like this book the best of all the withdrawal books. It's practical and to-the-point. Dr. Breggin's books are hard to get through.

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.

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They probably realized Coming off Antidepressants is a much better title! The Antidepressant Solution gives the exact opposite impression.

 

Dr. Glenmullen should update it and reissue it under Coming off Antidepressants.

 

I like this book the best of all the withdrawal books. It's practical and to-the-point. Dr. Breggin's books are hard to get through.

 

The Antidepressant Solution should be updated to The Antidepressant Solution Lie. That is all.

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I read Dr. Glenmullen's book and got alot out of it at that time. Somewhere in that book I remember reading that he can be contacted for advise.

 

It was very validating for me at that time.

 

Hugs

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

Paxil 1997-2004

Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

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  • 9 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

This is an interesting idea, I started using an XL spread sheet a few months ago to keep track of how my sleep was when going through a dreadful period, but after a while, for me, it just felt unhealthy to be scrutinising, almost like scrutinising it was make it a self fulfilling prophesy and making it worse, so I ditched it and went with the flow instead. Horses for courses I expect.

*** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***





http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/
Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007.
Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. 

A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido.

 

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Yes, I think attending too closely to the sleep issue can worsen things for some people.

3 Years 150 mgs Effexor

2 month taper down to zero

3 terrible weeks at zero

Back up to 75 mgs

2 months at 75

6 or so months back to regular dose of 150 - was able to restabilize fine.

3 month taper back to zero

1 HORRENDOUS week at zero

2 days back up to 37.5

3 days back up to 75

One week at 150 - unable to stabilize.

Back down to 75 mgs

At 75 mgs (half original dose) and suffering withdrawal symptoms since October 2012.

 

"It is a radical cure for all pessimism to become ill, to remain ill for a good while, and then grow well for a still longer period." - Nietzsche

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  • 3 months later...

OMG Dalsaan.....

 

I have the left column symptoms.  Moods, anxiety, terrible dreams, crying, etc.  Don't really have physical stuff  ~Except~ I just realized that I get numbness and tingling in my arms, particularly if I sleep for a short period of time with them under my body or bent.

 

I though I was having nerve or circulation problems.  I never made the connection as I sit here and journal and wonder what the heck is wrong with me every day of my life, over and over again with mornings being horrible. :blink:

 

Could it be that I don't have physical symptom unless I drop the dose that I don't understand that my emotional stuff is in large part due to WD?

 

But what about the other things going on?

 

Where do we/I draw the line on what's what?

 

Thank you

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

Paxil 1997-2004

Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

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  • 3 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

I am weird, because I basically have only psychiatric symptoms. but those I have big time! from medical symptoms, only maybe some from dizziness category.

 

I remember when I did faster quit, which ended up in total disaster after 4-5 months after that - then I had initially also medical symptoms. but actually, as I think of it, they were also mainly dizziness symptoms, and maybe some sensory abnormalities - I remember I thought I had sharper vision. but that was all even then. 

 

am I some kind of mystery, because my symptoms are all psychiatric? that's why I haven't really understood, why I am so different - for example I have not got any intolerances (like for some foods, coffee, vitamins etc). I guess I'm lucky for that. although my symptoms are really not easier, I'm really tortured by them. 

 

No, it's not that weird, certainly not a mystery or anything. Withdrawal plays out differently for people, that's all.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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  • 2 weeks later...

What symptoms would you add to this chart?  I noticed that there are a few consistent ones that I get, that are not listed here. Like, brainfog, dizzy, light-sensitive, noise-sensitive, insomnia (at bedtime and/or in early AM).  Please contribute your experience!

 

I am thinking of making a better chart to be used daily.  Maybe even creating a custom journal somehow.  I wish there was a 2014 planner that had all these categories listed, as well as sections on sleep, exercise, weather, etc.  Kind of like: http://www.memoryminder.com/healthminder_detail_view.asp

I also found an online journal that tracks symptoms based on conditions, and is currently free to use: http://www.symptomjournal.com/

 

For your convenience, I am posting them here:

 

PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS

That Mimic Depression

1. Crying spells

2. Worsened mood

3. Low energy (fatigue,lethargy, malaise)

4. Trouble concentrating

5. Insomnia or trouble sleeping

6. Change in appetite

7. Suicidal thoughts

8. Suicide attempts

 

That Mimic Anxiety Disorders

9. Anxious, nervous, tense

10. Panic attacks (racing heart, breathless)

11. Chest  pain

12. Trembling, jittery, or shaking

 

Irritability and Aggression

13. Irritability

14. Agitation (restlessness, hyperactivity)

15. Impulsive

16. Aggressiveness

17. Self-harm

18. Homicidal thoughts or urges

 

Confusion and Memory Problems

19. Confusion or cognitive difficulties

20. Memory problems or forgetfulness

 

Mood Swings

21. Elevated  mood (feeling high)

22. Mood swings

23. Manic-like reactions

 

Hallucinations

24. Auditory hallucinations

25. Visual hallucinations

 

Dissociation

26. Feeling detached or unreal

 

Other

27. Excessive or intense dreaming

28. Nightmares

 

MEDICAL SYMPTOMS

That Mimic the Flu

29. Flu -like aches and pains

30. Fever

31. Sweats

32. Chills

33. Runny nose

34. Sore eyes

 

That Mimic Gastroenteritis

35. Nausea

36. Vomiting

37. Diarrhea

38. Abdominal pain or cramps

39. Stomach bloating

 

Dizziness

40. Disequilibrium

41. Spinning, swaying, lightheaded

42. Hung over or waterlogged feeling

43. Unsteady gait, poor coordination

44. Motion  sickness

 

Headache

45. Headache

 

Tremor

46. Tremor

 

Sensory Abnormalities

47. Numbness, burning,or tingling

48. Electric zap-like sensations in the brain

49. Electric shock-like sensations in the body

50. Abnormal visual sensations

51. Ringing or other  noises in the ears

52. Abnormal smells or tastes

 

Other

53. Drooling or excessive saliva

54. Slurred speech

55. Blurred vision

56. Muscle cramps, stiffness, twitches

57. Feeling of restless legs

58. Uncontrollable twitching of mouth

2005-2008: Effexor; 1/2008 Tapered 3 months, then quit. 7/2008-2009 Reinstated Effexor (crying spells at start of new job.)
2009-3/2013: Switched to Pristiq 50 mg then 100 mg
3/2013: Switched to Lexapro 10mg. Cut down to 5 mg. CT for 2 weeks then reinstated for 6 weeks
8/2013-8/2014: Tapering Lexapro (Lots of withdrawal symptoms)
11/2014 -8/2015: Developed severe insomnia and uncontrollable daily crying spells
12/2014-6/2015: Tried Ambien, Klonopin, Ativan, Lunesta, Sonata, Trazadone, Seroquel, Rameron, Gabapentin - Developed Anxiety disorder, PTSD, and Psychogenic Myoclonus
7/2015-1/2016: Reinstated Lexapro 2 mg (mild improvement, but crying spells still present)

1/2016-5/2017: Lexapro 5 mg ( helped a lot, but poor stress tolerance & depressive episodes)

5/20/2017 - Raised dose to Lexapro 10 mg due to lingering depression(Total of 2 failed tapers & severe PAWS)

9/11/2018 - Present: Still on 10 mg Lexapro and mostly recovered.(Anxiety still triggers Myoclonus.)

10/7/2022 - 20 mg Lexapro (brand only) Plus occasional Klonopin for anxiety and Ambien for insomnia.

 

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I just read this recently and there is a WD checklist a bit more extensive than this on TheRoadBack Site.  Yes, there are other symptoms, but this just about sums it up.....

 

Thank goodness at least one doctor recognizes it:)

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

Paxil 1997-2004

Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

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I agree. I have also thought about making a custom one. I especially like that it includes a section for diet and weather. I think those are two very important factors that are sometimes overlooked.  I just purchased a 2014 Calendar/planner notebook. (for now) I figured I would be more likely to stick with the charting if the paper was already there and bound together rather than needing to print one out for each day, and find a way to keep them together and in order. However there's not much room for me to write.

 

Blurb.com has spiral bound notebooks you can create. Not sure of the price though.  I'm sure you could make a file on your computer and upload it to there. The healthminder journal you posted looks good too though. $13.45 for 95 days doesn't sound too hateful when you consider paper and ink. I might look into that one. 

- 2006 - 2009 Prozac 20mg 

- June 2009- February 2010 OB/GYN recommended switching to wellbutrin while pregnant with 2nd child.

- February 2010 switched back to Prozac 20mg

 

Have been weaning since 2013ish - Currently at 4mg

 

 

 

 My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5546-kristinacc-intro/

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Lilu, is that site specifically capturing withdrawal symptoms?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Lilu, is that site specifically capturing withdrawal symptoms?

Probably Not...but I haven't signed up and explored it yet.

2005-2008: Effexor; 1/2008 Tapered 3 months, then quit. 7/2008-2009 Reinstated Effexor (crying spells at start of new job.)
2009-3/2013: Switched to Pristiq 50 mg then 100 mg
3/2013: Switched to Lexapro 10mg. Cut down to 5 mg. CT for 2 weeks then reinstated for 6 weeks
8/2013-8/2014: Tapering Lexapro (Lots of withdrawal symptoms)
11/2014 -8/2015: Developed severe insomnia and uncontrollable daily crying spells
12/2014-6/2015: Tried Ambien, Klonopin, Ativan, Lunesta, Sonata, Trazadone, Seroquel, Rameron, Gabapentin - Developed Anxiety disorder, PTSD, and Psychogenic Myoclonus
7/2015-1/2016: Reinstated Lexapro 2 mg (mild improvement, but crying spells still present)

1/2016-5/2017: Lexapro 5 mg ( helped a lot, but poor stress tolerance & depressive episodes)

5/20/2017 - Raised dose to Lexapro 10 mg due to lingering depression(Total of 2 failed tapers & severe PAWS)

9/11/2018 - Present: Still on 10 mg Lexapro and mostly recovered.(Anxiety still triggers Myoclonus.)

10/7/2022 - 20 mg Lexapro (brand only) Plus occasional Klonopin for anxiety and Ambien for insomnia.

 

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Unless it's specifically capturing withdrawal symptoms, my guess is if you check off symptoms that "mimic" psychiatric symptoms, that site is going to put you in the psychiatric diagnosis basket.

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.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Unless it's specifically capturing withdrawal symptoms, my guess is if you check off symptoms that "mimic" psychiatric symptoms, that site is going to put you in the psychiatric diagnosis basket.

 

I don't think that matters. It would be a private account that would let you track your symptoms daily. As long as the symptoms are listed, you can include them.

 

But I think I found something even better - a downloadable and customizable mental health software!  It is currently free, and can be found on this site:  http://www.findingoptimism.com/

 

I looked at the screen shots of the software, and there is a section where you can add or delete symptoms and categories as you wish.  Looks very promising.  There's a section for goal setting, and it allows one to also track triggers and create charts and reports of your progress.  I also noticed a SYNC button, I wonder if I can sync it with Outlook and create a calendar.

I'll report back after I try it. 

 

I tried the optimism software and found that I can't use it due to the fact that the font is too tiny for me to see and there's no way to change it.  Also there seems to be a bug in the software, as the main window can't be maximized. Also the only place to note the medication dose info is in the notes section.  So I decided to just make due with a good old fashioned daily planner for now.

2005-2008: Effexor; 1/2008 Tapered 3 months, then quit. 7/2008-2009 Reinstated Effexor (crying spells at start of new job.)
2009-3/2013: Switched to Pristiq 50 mg then 100 mg
3/2013: Switched to Lexapro 10mg. Cut down to 5 mg. CT for 2 weeks then reinstated for 6 weeks
8/2013-8/2014: Tapering Lexapro (Lots of withdrawal symptoms)
11/2014 -8/2015: Developed severe insomnia and uncontrollable daily crying spells
12/2014-6/2015: Tried Ambien, Klonopin, Ativan, Lunesta, Sonata, Trazadone, Seroquel, Rameron, Gabapentin - Developed Anxiety disorder, PTSD, and Psychogenic Myoclonus
7/2015-1/2016: Reinstated Lexapro 2 mg (mild improvement, but crying spells still present)

1/2016-5/2017: Lexapro 5 mg ( helped a lot, but poor stress tolerance & depressive episodes)

5/20/2017 - Raised dose to Lexapro 10 mg due to lingering depression(Total of 2 failed tapers & severe PAWS)

9/11/2018 - Present: Still on 10 mg Lexapro and mostly recovered.(Anxiety still triggers Myoclonus.)

10/7/2022 - 20 mg Lexapro (brand only) Plus occasional Klonopin for anxiety and Ambien for insomnia.

 

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Thanks for reporting back, Lilu.

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.

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  • 3 months later...
  • Administrator

Glad you appreciate it! The bbs structure is good for collecting odd bits of info. The problem is finding them later.

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.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Some online forms, worksheets and spreadsheets for help tracking medication and symptoms:

 

from a CFS/FM site:

 

http://www.cfidsselfhelp.org/library/type/log_forms_worksheets

 

another symptoms spreadsheet you can download:  http://lymerick.net/symptomdiary.htm

 

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

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

There is a phone app (available free on android and iphone) for tracking symptoms that I tried using for a few weeks.

 

It's called T2 Mood Tracker. It was developed by a Defense Dept contractor to assist vets with psych health and traumatic brain injury issues.

 

The app comes with six pre-loaded issues: anxiety, depression, general well-being, head injury, PTSD, and stress. You can customize and add your own categories. It actually spits out an excel linear graph of your symptoms over time.

 

I ultimately found all the categories and sliders too fiddly to deal with on a daily basis. But I did use it for a couple of weeks or so and the resulting graph was interesting. Even though it wasn't right for me, it is highly rated and may be useful to some.

04/2013 diagnoses: severe insomnia, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, agoraphobia. PTSD (my diagnosis)

Original scripts: 30 mg mirtazapine (Remeron) (1x day), 75 mg Bupropion HCL (Wellbutrin) (2x day), and 0.5 lorazepam (1x day or as needed)

05/05/14: Onset of acute Wellbutrin withdrawal symptoms after haphazard "taper" of 6-8 wks.

05/10/14: Joined this site.

05/11/14: Reinstated approx. 25 mg Wellbutrin (1x day)

05/14/14: Switched to 12.5 mg Wellbutrin (2x day)

06/28/14: Changed lorazepam dosing to .25 mg 2x a day - seems to be reducing anxiety flare-ups

07/28/14: Dosing Wellbutrin in a (home made) solution form 12.5 mg (2x day) 08/15/14: Remeron 28 25.2 22.7 20.5 18.5 16.7 15.1 13.6 mg (home made) solution

05/16/15: Have been dosing lorazepam at .5 mg in the morning, .25 mg in the afternoon, and .25 mg at bedtime. Anxiety has increased somewhat, possibly due to tolerance.

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

I like the idea of keeping track of symptoms during the tapering process. i have been keeping track somewhat for a few mos now on a calendar of what days i get vertigo, and what days i do not. personally i find it kind of time consuming to rate the severity of my symptoms on a daily basis. and i dont want to over worry too much. my CNS was not completely stable before i started the taper on my depakote. but i feel that i need to get off the depakote before my physical health complications get any worse. at this point, after already having rapid tapers in the past, im not sure that holding my dose on my current taper is going to help stabilize my CNS. i think the damage is already done and i just need to make steady and small cuts.

Seroquel:off since 2011. rapid taper, no sxs of w/d.

Ativan:off since 2013. PRN only, no taper. no sxs of w/d.

Wellbutrin:off since 2012. rapid taper at first, then cold turkey. 

Topamax:off since 2014. slow taper.

Depakote:off since Jan. 2015. slow taper.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Administrator

You can of course modify the record-keeping for your own needs.

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.

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  • 7 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

I am wondering about the purely psychological symptoms of withdrawal (as opposed to the physical symptoms). Primarily the ones that have only been experienced AFTER taking and/ or withdrawing. I'm hoping people will add to the list if I've missed some (I'm sure I have).

 

Some of the psychological symptoms I've experienced and read about in other threads are:

 

Intense Anxiety

"Complete" Anhedonia

Ruminating thoughts (negative content)

Extreme guilt/obsessing over things you feel guilty about

Self loathing / extreme self consciousness

Suicidal ideation

1988-2012: Prozac @ 60mg (with a few stops and starts)

Fall 2012: Returned to 40mg after discontinuing and horrid withdrawal 

Fall 2013: 40mg Fluoxetine, added 150mg Wellbutrin to treat fatigue 

Winter 2014: Attempting to taper both (too fast)

April 2014: 9mg Fluoxetine + 37.5 Wellbutrin 

Summer 2014: 8 mg Fluoxetine + 0 Wellbutrin (way too fast a drop)

Late summer/Early Fall 2014: Debilitating Withdrawal symptoms 

Fall 2014 - Wellbutrin successfully kicked to the curb but…

Oct- Dec 2014: Panicked reinstatement of Fluoxetine ->30mg - held for 5yrs

Jan 2021: taper to 20mg Fluoxetine  then tapering by 1mg every 2-3 months

Fall 2022 - held at 10mg->December 2022: 9mg->Feb 2023: 8mg ->March 2023: brassmonkey slide begins: 7.8mg -> 7.6 -> 7.4->2 week hold (April)->7.2->7mg->6.8->2 week hold->6.6-> 1-month hold ->(June)-6.5->4-week hold-> (July)-6.4 (discontinued brassmonkey slide and slowed taper)-> (Aug)-6.2->(Sept)-6.0->(Oct)-5.9->(Nov)-5.8->(Dec)-5.7->wave!->(Jan)-5.8->(Feb)-6mg and holding.

 

My 2014 withdrawal experience: https://rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/

 

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I had paranoid thoughts and thoughts that I would class psychotic at some stage.

 

I also have crying spells and fits of rage.

Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional

Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. 

After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. 

June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells

September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. 

 

Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn

 

Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland:

https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg

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• early-morning awakening with a) dread/terror & B) regret/hopelessness at the entire experience of the first few hours at least.

• difficulty enjoying face-to-face meet-ups occasions

• long periods of sitting without moving

• sense of having been"left behind age cohort while using

2009: Cancer hospital said I had adjustment disorder because I thought they were doing it wrong. Their headshrinker prescribed Effexor, and my life set on a new course. I didn't know what was ahead, like a passenger on Disneyland's Matterhorn, smiling and waving as it climbs...clink, clink, clink.

2010: Post surgical accidental Effexor discontinuation by nurses, masked by intravenous Dilaudid. (The car is balanced at the top of the track.) I get home, pop a Vicodin, and ...

Whooosh...down, down, down, down, down...goes the trajectory of my life, up goes my mood and tendency to think everything is a good idea.
2012: After the bipolar jig was up, now a walking bag of unrelated symptoms, I went crazy on Daytrana (the Ritalin skin patch by Noven), because ADHD was a perfect fit for a bag of unrelated symptoms. I was prescribed Effexor for the nervousness of it, and things got neurological. An EEG showed enough activity to warrant an epilepsy diagnosis rather than non-epileptic ("psychogenic") seizures.

:o 2013-2014: Quit everything and got worse. I probably went through DAWS: dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome. I drank to not feel, but I felt a lot: dread, fear, regret, grief: an utter sense of total loss of everything worth breathing about, for almost two years.

I was not suicidal but I wanted to be dead, at least dead to the experience of my own brain and body.

2015: I  began to recover after adding virgin coconut oil and organic grass-fed fed butter to a cup of instant coffee in the morning.

I did it hoping for mental acuity and better memory. After ten days of that, I was much better, mood-wise. Approximately neutral.

And, I experienced drowsiness. I could sleep. Not exactly happy, I did 30 days on Wellbutrin, because it had done me no harm in the past. 

I don't have the DAWS mood or state of mind. It never feel like doing anything if it means standing up.

In fact, I don't especially like moving. I'm a brain with a beanbag body.   :unsure:

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