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I think all this "withdrawal"/"PAWS" experience has been disturbing for me for the reasons that I've been describing in great detail. But to be honest I don't think my withdrawal has been that long lasting, what I think happened is that like I said I was immersed in a deep personal crisis when I was 19-20 yo, and psychiatry forced me to disconnect from that crisis psychologically and chemically at the same that it made it much, much worse and added new and thick layers to my already complex trauma and inner-external moral conflict just when I was extremely vulnerable and totally exhausted and needed desperately to be supported, understood, seen. Then I stopped taking the pills and withdrawal happened but it wasn't the worst part, withdrawal lasted for some time, but I think I simply had had a fake synthetic stability that was going to blew up the moment I stopped taking Sertraline, with or without withdrawal, because years later I was still in crisis, that's the painful truth. Unfortunately that narcissistic relationship happened at the same time, and it was simply devastating, I was already very confused and overwhelmed by my inner reality and didn't need that **** but that narcissistic relationship happened in the first place because I was still in crisis and very vulnerable to abuse, because I hadn't recovered my strenght and I was desperate, and she used my desperation and unhealed core moral wounds to manipulate and use me. Then my narcissistic family also prevented me from recovering, maintaining me trapped in my moral loop. Withdrawal definitely happened, and you could say that all this is part of my withdrawal recovery, because it's all interconnected, but yeah, I think for the most part is trauma, oppression and lack of moral support, reason why all this took so long.

@FireflyFyte hoping to get a quick sanity check on some math. I'm going to switch to 50mg pills from 100 mg. My next stop is 44.78 mg in a couple of days. So I would take 44.78/50 (.895) and multiple it by the weight of the 50 mg pill, correct? Thank you!

Extreme fear, and excruciating emotional pain. I do not want to lose my soul to this. I do not want to lose this fight. Not anymore.

@Erimus- I second what @Ariel said. I'm blown away that you can manage to be a mod here while trying to manage your own taper and WD symptoms. I have so many days where my brain won't even let me butter my toast and pour my coffee lol. Mad respect to you!!!

@AAOffZ I have not but I will maybe get some of it... I had terrible itchy skin before I got on the lexapro from the anxiety so I am sure it is just my body stabilizing and maybe some neuropathy or nerve damage from up dosing too quickly!

Thank you, but I'm no longer working lol. I was diagnosed with long covid in 2022, and my brain and body have become a battleground lol. I can't even fathom being able to manage my stressful job while chronically ill. I think the stress levels I was under at work when I contracted covid was a major factor in my developing long covid. In any case, having long covid and trying to taper escitalopram, all while updosing low dose naltrexone, has certainly presented me with more than my share of challenges for now lol. It's a confusing jumble of symptoms, but the key is slow and steady with everything I do. I can't destabilize- like you, I want to be at my best for my family. GRIN1 is super rare- I had the good fortune to learn about a LOT of rare diseases when I was working. My job was to transition medically complex patients home from hospital, so I saw a lot of interesting stuff. I LOVED my job. But the pandemic changed a lot for me, and I'm not sure I even want to go back if/when I get well enough. But that's a long story that I will likely share someday on my thread lol. Hope you're doing ok today!

@BenD7123 I have itchy skin.. unrelated to WD. Have you ever heard of Sarna lotion? Works very well for me.

Glad to hear from you @Ariel, and I hope you're doing okay. The moderating gives me some sort of purpose and function in my very limited life, which I think is important. Best wishes.

You are tapering much too fast for such a drug. We suggest no more than 10% of your current dose each month. So your next drop would be from 1.5mg to 1.35mg. If you read the links I posted above you will see how to create custom doses, either by crushing and weighing, or making a liquid suspension. I would suggest focusing on tapering the antipsychotic as, like you said, it is the most harmful. I would recommend holding for a couple of weeks before you make another cut, to allow your brain to catch up on all the changes you've recently made.

Back with my daily update... I do find being here each day to document very helpful, and I'm hoping that once I get into the really tough part of the taper, it will help me keep my eye on the prize. I'm feeling pretty good this morning. I went to my class last night, and ended up with some chest pressure and palpitations. And I was quite cyanotic by the end. Typical signs of over-exertion for me since being diagnosed with long covid, so I'm taking it easy today. This is purely a long covid thing for me, and has been a problem since I tested positive for covid two years ago. It's sunny here- I'm going to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine today. And that's about it. I also had some pretty serious insomnia last night. I'm not ruminating or restless or anything.... just lying there thinking. Sometimes about stupid stuff, like what my favourite song was when I was my daughter's age. I just seem to have trouble shutting these thoughts down. In any case, I'm not overly stressed about it- being on disability gives me the option to take naps as needed, so I'm just rolling with it. Interestingly though, despite the insomnia, I don't feel as foggy as normal this morning. I'm wondering if the naltrexone is starting to have a more positive effect? Wouldn't that be amazing? I'm going to test the waters and try to do a crossword puzzle today. If I can manage to finish it in one or two days, that would be progress- it's been taking me about a week to complete one lately. I was super skeptical about LDN when I started, but maybe.. just maybe... it's going to make a difference! May 1st is coming up, and that is the day that I decided I would drop my escitalopram to 9mg IF everything is stable. I'm just taking it day by day- I won't make any firm decisions until that day. If I do drop the dose, there will be no updosing of the LDN for at least a month. I know @Tweed9674 suggested holding the escitalopram while I updose my LDN, but I think I've just opted for only changing one drug per month. That will give me 2 months on each dose of each drug. And again, I will say that this is ONLY if things are stable. I will hold each for longer if needed. The reason I decided on this approach was that I feel it's good for me mentally to see myself making progress on both drugs. I know this means that getting off the escitalopram and finding my optimal LDN dose might take FOREVER. I have mixed feelings about this, of course. Like most people, I'm really eager to get the escitalopram out of my system for good and forever. I just keep reminding myself that my situation is a bit complex, and slow and steady is the ONLY way, under the circumstances. That's about it for today. Off to hang out with my dog in the sunshine!

Hello, and welcome to Surviving Antidepressants. We are a peer support forum to assist in tapering off psychiatric drugs safely, or recovering from psychiatric drug withdrawal. Your first task is to create a drug signature, with the following: All current medication you take, the dose you take, when you started the drug, and when you made dose changes All current supplements you take An accurate history of recent drugs, taken in the last 12-24 months Dates for recent should be written as 7 Oct 2023, or Oct 7 2023, or early Oct 2023, or mid Oct 2023 A history of drugs taken 24 months ago and beyond - if applicable Dates for historical drugs can simply be listed as start and stop years Please do not use 07/10/23 // 10/07/23 as this is intepreted differently around the world Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. See my signature for example of clear and concise information. Click this link to edit your signature: Edit your signature here. This topic is for anything relating to you, and any questions you have. Please do not start another topic. We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your CURRENT dose each month, to limit withdrawal symptoms. E.g. 10mg --> 9mg --> 8.1mg --> 7.29mg All the answers you are looking for regarding tapering and antidepressant withdrawal are on this site. Please search around and continue to read as much as you can manage. Use the site search function to search for specific words or phrases, such as drugs or symptoms. Here are a few of the most useful links: Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ Micro tapering Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first? How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules Using a scale to weigh and measure doses We only recommend two supplements. Omega 3 Fish Oil and Magnesium. Both should be introduced separately and increased slowly. Regards Erimus

@Belajazi I have requested this previously as well. Post daily hourly notes. Thanks. LotusRising has read over your notes as have I, Emonda, and Brass Monkey. The protocol remains the same, the advice the same. You have had improvement. Please work on patience and allow your body time. This is not a quick process. Your body has been put through so many drugs in such a short period.

I hope that one day I can recover the passion psychiatry and Sertraline took from me. All this had a heavy toll on me, and I didn't deserved it, at all, I wasn't a criminal.

These drugs can and do cause all the symptoms you have listed. When you are taking such combinations it can be difficult to tell what is happening, as they all interact with each other and your brain. You might consider evaluating why you are taking so many drugs, and if reducing them might help with your anxiety problems.

For your convenient 2021-2021 dec : 0.5mg xanax and 12.5mg paxil cr CT with zero withdrawals 2022: no medication just Occasional propanolol because of trachychardia 2023: jan - feb was on ivabradine 2.5mg and metoprolol 25mg because of sinus trachychardia then ct after two month. One dose xanax reacted badly mini seizures, uncontrollable movements immediate dexamethasone shot. July 2023: prozac and olanzapine 5mg 1/4 immediate akathisia July 2023: zoloft and olanzapine akathisia gone but after 25-20 days extreme delusional, paranoid thoughts, ocd, panic attack both drugs cold turkey. After few days intense suicidal akathisia had started. Pacing pacing terror. Occasional b3nzo August 2023 : one lexapro dose full bloom akathisia.vomiting,muscles vibrations, Throat choking, diarrhea ( serotonin syndrome??) Continues till 15 august 15 August 2023: paxil Cr 12.5mg And kolonopin 0.5mg After three days my mental (terror) aka totally convert into physical (restlessness, wanted to rip out of skin) With intense throat choking and internal vibrations Sep or October : 1/4 of paxil immediately inner aka partially reduced Dec 2023: Tried ct two weeks was awesome feeling like oldself was very happy then after two weeks whole body uncontrollable shaking immediate reinstaint immediate symptoms resolve but aka again come back Jan 2024: on dr taper plan i started taking paxil cr 3mg alternatives day for 15 days then gap of two days for 20 days and crash with withdrawals On feb join SA: asked to take regular doses 10-feb-2024: swtich to home-made paxil ir solution. Immediately symptoms flipped from physical akathisia to mental( terror) Whole two Months was torturous. Still 100 symptoms. Akathisia never leave during these period of time @LotusRising

Hello. We are a support forum for aiding people in tapering off psychiatric drugs, or recovering from psychiatric drug withdrawal. We are not here to suggest which drugs you might consider trying. If you want to read about tapering there is a wealth of resources on the site for this. Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

Hang in there! As you have told us before, …stay out of the rumination cycle as much as possible. Don’t over analyze, …focus on good self care and healing activities! You have given us so much, now it’s time to focus on your healing steps! Lots of self love , patience & compassion!! 💪💪🥰🥰

Fill in your drug signature and I will get back to you. We don't suggest introducing new drugs, particularly if you are already taking two. Unfortunately you reach a point where no drug will stabilise your nervous system. It is best to stick with the ones you are currently taking, and taper off them slowly.

Does anyone else on here get really dry and itchy skin all over? It doesn't bother me too much just wondering if its normal and if anything helps?

Hello, and welcome to Surviving Antidepressants. We are a peer support forum to assist in tapering off psychiatric drugs safely, or recovering from psychiatric drug withdrawal. Your first task is to create a drug signature, with the following: All current medication you take, the dose you take, when you started the drug, and when you made dose changes All current supplements you take An accurate history of recent drugs, taken in the last 12-24 months Dates for recent should be written as 7 Oct 2023, or Oct 7 2023, or early Oct 2023, or mid Oct 2023 A history of drugs taken 24 months ago and beyond - if applicable Dates for historical drugs can simply be listed as start and stop years Please do not use 07/10/23 // 10/07/23 as this is intepreted differently around the world Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. See my signature for example of clear and concise information. Click this link to edit your signature: Edit your signature here. This topic is for anything relating to you, and any questions you have. Please do not start another topic. We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your CURRENT dose each month, to limit withdrawal symptoms. E.g. 10mg --> 9mg --> 8.1mg --> 7.29mg All the answers you are looking for regarding tapering and antidepressant withdrawal are on this site. Please search around and continue to read as much as you can manage. Use the site search function to search for specific words or phrases, such as drugs or symptoms. Here are a few of the most useful links: Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ Micro tapering Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first? How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules Using a scale to weigh and measure doses We only recommend two supplements. Omega 3 Fish Oil and Magnesium. Both should be introduced separately and increased slowly. Regards Erimus

Haha thank you! Long covid has been both a blessing and a curse. It's horrible to not be able to get off my couch many days, but at the same time, going on disability has allowed me to do some soul searching, and make decisions about what I want and who I want to be. Getting off of the drugs is all part of that. Yes, it's a bit tough to tease out what's causing what, but that just means I have to take this slow. So far so good for me as well. I feel very lucky- I dropped from 20mg to 10mg in a fairly short time period with very few side effects. I was only able to do that though because I've taken escitalopram previously, and didn't have problems until under 5mg. That being said, my last taper was rapid, so it's quite possible that I would have experienced symptoms at higher doses, but I dropped too quickly to notice. So I made the conscious decision to come down to 10 quickly, and then slow way down. Moving to 9mg soon, as long as the LC symptoms stay stable. Fingers crossed....

Hello, and welcome to Surviving Antidepressants. We are a peer support forum to assist in tapering off psychiatric drugs safely, or recovering from psychiatric drug withdrawal. How long has it been since you switched from prozac to trintellix?

@102820Hi, I came off 5.2 mg Citalopram cold turkey in September 2023 and reinstated 0.5 mg in Jan to 2024. Since re instating (and possibly some time after stopping in September), my problem started, not exactly sure when. I think it's nearer the reinstatement time.🙂

April 24-25 1:30 am- 7 am restless sleep, nauseated 7 am awake for day 11 am feeling fine, heart palpitations 11:30 am magnesium oil 3 pm first meal today 5 pm 30 mg imipramine and clonidine 6:30 pm restless legs 8:15 pm 3 mg liquid imipramine and ropinirole 8:30 pm tv in bed 9 :30- 12:30 asleep

Hi Sonia! thank you for your reply to this post. May ask when you discontinued escitalopram? Like how long have you been off of it? 😊 KC