rausmitcha Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 I'm on a different page Than my psychiatrist and psychologist. They are dead set against me discontinuing any of the meds. I respect them; we've done good work. Nevertheless, they try to "reason" with me. I just know there's another way to be well without these horrible meds. I am swayed by their insistence that I need to be on these drugs. How will I ever know? Do I discontinue seeing them? My internal medicine doc is all about being on as little of the psychotropics as possible, so there's that. 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted September 15, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 15, 2015 Welcome rausmitcha, Its great to hear that you are considering the possibility of learning how to manage your life without harmful drugs. Sadly, few psychiatrists agree with this kind of thinking. Drugs are a psychiatrist's business. How have you managed to reduce the abilify and effexor? Is your doctor aware you have reduced your dose? Did you taper? How have you been feeling since the reductions? It's nice to have a doctor who supports being on the lowest possible dose, or even becoming drug free, but in reality, you only need someone who is willing to keep prescribing as you are tapering. Would your internal medicine doc be willing to do that? If you taper slowly and safely and find other ways to manage or treat any underlying issues you had before starting on drugs, there's a very real possibility that you could live a happy, healthy and productive life without psychiatric drugs. Psych meds can cause harmful side effects and long term, they can worsen health, increasing the risk of other illnesses. In my opinion they should only be used for short times and very cautiously, if at all. I'd highly recommend reading Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker. Here are some links which you may find helpful: Council for Evidence Based Psychiatry What to expect from my doctor How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal? Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first? Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine) Tips for tapering off aripiprazole (Abilify) Council for Evidence Based Psychiatry The Icarus Project Please feel free to write whenever you want, you will find a lot of friendly help and support here. Petunia. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Mentor ang Posted September 15, 2015 Mentor Share Posted September 15, 2015 Welcome! There is another way.............. but no too quick! You have done well to cut the effexor to where you are at.............. anyway, others here have much better advice than me, just wanted to say welcome. 1992 Dothiepin 375mg 8 weeks, exhaustion/depression. Serotonin syndrome, oh yes! seizures . Fell pregnant, 3rd baby, Nitrous Oxide, 3 weeks mental hospital pp psychosis. zoloft tegretol. Feb 1996 ct tegretol, tapered Zoloft 8 weeks. as (unexpectedly) pregnant. Steven died after 3 days.(Zolft HLHS baby). 98 had run in with Paxil, 2 tablets, 3 weeks taper, survived.2005..menopause? exhausted again. Zyprexa, mad in three days, fallout.... Seroquel, Effexor, tegretol, and 8 years of self destruction. Failed taper.Damn 1/4 valium... nuts again! .fallout, zoloft 100mg seroquol 400mg mirtazapine 45 mg tegretol 400mg. Mid 14 3 month taper. Nov 14 CRASH.Mid 15 .... 75mg seroquel, 3 x 1800mg SJW 2 week window end of December followed by 6 week wave5/2 68mg seroquel, 2.5 x 1800mg SJW::::20/2 61mg seroquel, 2.5 x SJW::: 26/2 54mg seroquel, 2 x SJW::::21/3 43mg seroquel, 1 x 2700SJW :::: 23/4 36mg seroquel 1 x 1800 SJW15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW:::: 28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::; 18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump. 23/9 3mg....., 27/9 0mg. Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg............. LIGHTBULB MOMENT, I have MTHFR 2x mutations. CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it. Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues. Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 Thank you for the welcome! I tell you, I did the reduction in the absolute WORST way possible. I haphazardly just started cutting back with no rhyme or reason. I know this is NOT the way to go. I've been feeling really badly because of it. You live and you learn. Not that I didn't know any better; I've been planning this for years. I also have a degree in Chemistry. I also dated a chemist who is a senior scientist in industry. I have to work on my strong impulses to just jump off the meds I just get so mad because they ( my doctors) do not give my opinion the weight it deserves. So yes, my docs know that I'm on much less than I was taking. They are not in favor of me discontinuing/ dropping the dosage. I presented a 10% reduction schedule to both my psychiatrist and psychologist. My psychologist said I was being "obsessive;" I'm sure you all know what reduction schedule like that looks like...necessarily fussy Anyway, I've been on stealth mode, checking this site out for a long time. I'm ready to do this correctly. The Take Away: if you're just starting to consider/implement a reduction PLEASE do it the right way. And tell your doctors. Not trying to preach, you just don't want to suffer any more than you already have. 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 I'm back. I need to fire my psychiatrist and psychologist. they think I'm just another non-compliant patient. what do i do? i become so complacent about my health and staying on my road to wellness on increased abilify. i've been their patient for going on 9 years. it's hard to change. I have to though. I'm not well physically/emotionally/psychologically. Help please. 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
IHadPassion Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Either way, you will bear most of the responsibility for tapering yourself off (I.e. making a plan, sticking to a plan, and following through). My psychiatrist initially told me I could quit paxil in a month with no issues. When he said that, I knew I was going to lose no matter what stance I took with him. So I tapered myself off and essentially lied to him for several months while I was doing it. Definitely not the ideal way, but it's your life and your relationship with them is simply a means to an end. I have come to trust the senior members of this forum more than any of the three psychiatrists I have dealt with. DO NOT LET YOUR DOCS CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU. You aren't insane/schizo/or mentally disabled from what I can see. You are a rational person like the rest of us and are fully capable of taking this into your own hands as long as you have patience, a good scale, and a doc to prescribe the medications. The fallacy of psychiatry is that they prescribe you psychotropics with only the knowledge they read in a text book or the lies they were fed by Big Pharma at a professional conference they were paid to attend 10 years ago in Las Vegas and anything you're feeling that doesn't meet what they've been taught cannot possibly be a result of the meds. They have (for the most part) never taken them themselves and many will admit they don't fully understand how they work. I imagine you view this as a fairly black and white issue. Unfortunately that's not the case and your pdoc doesn't have all the answers. Finding a 'progressive' pdoc who will actually listen to your needs and not write you off is going to be a losing battle. It's possible, but will take time and a lot of effort. I would recommend beginning a very conservative taper, maintain your current docs without cluing them in, and search for replacements. Year 0: Social anxiety, obsessive thoughts, NO depression, NO suicidal ideations Years 1-2: Ativan (benzo) <1mg as needed, not abused but developed physical dependence Years 2-3: Paxil (20mg) augmented with Adderall XR (10-20mg) due to withdrawal from Ativan Years 3-Present: Severe depression, headaches, psychiatric hospitalization, lost job, etc. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted November 8, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 8, 2015 Hello Rausmitcha, Just popping in to say hi, and also that while getting doctors and meds sorted is a really important step towards getting your health back, there's a whole range of positive things you can start building into your life - that you don't have to wait for doctors to be on board for. Have you had a look at the topics in http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1112-non-drug-techniques-to-cope-with-emotional-symptoms/? You can take ownership of your health, and really focus on bringing healing into your life. The doctors can take the peripheral seat, and just prescribe what you need. Just a thought, I know you might already be sorted in this area. KarenB 2010 Fluoxetine 20mg. 2011 Escitalopram 20mg. 2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS. Effexor 150mg. 2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants. Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms). 8 month hold. 2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent). 2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well. Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea. 2023 December - Now on 5 micro-beads Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops. Symptoms begin to increase. 2024 April - Updosed to 6 microbeads - immediate increase in symptoms for 4 days. Decreased to 5 microbeads. 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.' Dr Gabor Mate. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted November 9, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 9, 2015 Hi rausmitcha, You received some good advice in the above comments. Unfortunately is rare to find a pdoc who will support coming off drugs for all the reasons IHP mentioned, but also because drug treatment is all most of them have as a method of 'helping' you. Its probably a good idea to hold off and any more tapering for a while, you just updosed and as you write here: I'm not well physically/emotionally/psychologically. Help please. Perhaps take a break from tapering and consider some of what KarenB suggested. Find non-drug ways of improving your health and getting your life back into balance, then you will be stronger and feel more confident to take on the responsibility of tapering off your meds. You could also use this time to try and find a doctor who will support lowering the drugs in a way you feel comfortable. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 Thank you so much for the information! You know, it's been a messy road to putting myself back in the drivers seat regarding my overall health. I used to be an athlete but gained ~70 lbs overall on my many, many years of meds. I just kinda threw up my hands. I am determined to be well. I've been told for so long I'm sick that it seemed overwhelming to even make itsy bitsy changes for the better. I'm very grateful for any nugget of wisdom!! 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
nz11 Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 rausmitcha, Happy new year. How is it in that city of Jazz these days? Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 Hello all, I hope everyone is making the best of it After nearly two years of toying with the idea of finding better support for me in my wellness journey, I told both my psychiatrist and psychologist that I would no longer need their services. I have been with them both for nearly 9 years. I am so disappointed in their refusal to actually listen to me. AND I just can't wrap my head around the huge blindspots that exist in psychiatry. Even more dismaying is that my former psychologist, who I've done very good work with, caters to former psychiatrist. At the end of the day, i think these meds are junk. They just label me as, well - you know, a non-compliant psych patient. I had enough. By the way, since my ill-advised huge drop in ability and effexor last May, my A1c and glucose have never looked better! My "full trigger" actually turns on. I don't eat everything in sight anymore. I was always hungry on higher doses of abilify (10mg+). My weight is still problematic but at least I feel I can actually do something about it. It's very difficult to exercise your way out of insatiable hunger. I'm trying to be smarter about my tapers. I just really hate having all this crud clogging up my tissues and gumming up my brain. 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 19, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 19, 2016 Hi rausmitcha , hearty congratulations on this next phase of your journey. It's a big move to realize that our "experts" aren't helping and we're better off without them. Keep it slow and I'm sure you'll be fine. best wishes , Fresh 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted March 20, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 20, 2016 Ah, that's so good to hear! You just made a huge leap in your ability to heal. It's called 'un-patienting' and it's a really key thing. Nice one!! 2010 Fluoxetine 20mg. 2011 Escitalopram 20mg. 2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS. Effexor 150mg. 2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants. Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms). 8 month hold. 2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent). 2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well. Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea. 2023 December - Now on 5 micro-beads Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops. Symptoms begin to increase. 2024 April - Updosed to 6 microbeads - immediate increase in symptoms for 4 days. Decreased to 5 microbeads. 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.' Dr Gabor Mate. Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 Thanks so much Fresh and KarenB! I used to be terrified to go it alone. I realized I'm not alone in this reclaimation of my health. Thank the stars for this group of folks and my 3 legged cat, Twiggy le Trepied!!! Now if I can just stick to my taper schedule and go really, really slowly. Really slowly. My poor nervous system needs a lil TLC. 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
nz11 Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Congratulations on un-patient-ing yourself and firing the so called academic giants. Very few can do this. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Ali Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Hi Rausmitcha Just wanted to wish you luck as you continue on your journey. I caved in to the lies/ ignorance of my psych for years, even though I knew he was wrong. Like you, he didn't really want to listen to my views as he said they were irrational and subjective. And like you, any therapist I saw wanted me to go along with the Psych because of course, doctors know best!! I, too, am going it alone, although fear I'm going to have to be economical with the truth to get what I want off them. Hey hum, I guess it's all part of the game. Best wishes to you, Ali <p>Several periods of depression starting in teens. 2010- 2014 escitalopram 20mgs. tapered to 5mgApril 2011- December 2011 seroquel2012-2014 don't know exact dates! 2014/15 Lamactil 200mg. 2015 lamactil 150mg. (Several attempts at coming off escitalopram and lamactil). March 2015 tapered to 37.5mg lamactil- Reinstated. July- Aug 2015 tapered off 5mg escitalopram. Dose reinstated Nov 2015. 7/1/16 Lamactil 137.5mg. Escitalopram 5mg; 24/3/16 lamactil 125mg; 20/4/16 escitalopram 4.5mg. 6/5 escit 4mg. 5/6/16 escit 3.6mg; 16/7/16 escit 3.5mg. 27/7/16 lamactil 112.5mg 18/8/16 escit 3.2mg 10/9/16 escit 3mg 16/9/16 lamactil 100mg 11/10/16 lamactil 112.5mg 28/10/16 escit 2.9mg 4/11/16 escit 2.8mg 10/11/16 lamactil 125mg 11/11/16 escit 2.7mg. 25/11/16 escit 2.4mg 10/12/16 escit 2mg 1/1/17 escit 1.7mg 17/1/17 escit 1.5mg 4/2/17 escit 1.4 19/2/17 escit 1.3mg 13/3/17 escit 1.2mg 22/3/17 escit 1mg. 4/5/17 escit 1.15mg 5/5/17 turmeric 800mg Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 Hi there Ali, I am fortunate enough to have a PCP who is amazing and willing to help me with my taper. She also embraces a better approach to wellness, not throw meds at symptoms and click your heels three times and hope symptoms abate. Is there anyone else you might turn to, other than the psych doc, who may be of help? They're out there. reading your signature, I can relate. I never kept records of the bevy of meds I have been on because, of course, my psychiatrist(s) were doing what was in my best interest, right? why should I ever doubt? I know for one, I have found so much help on this forum. Be well and do something nice for yourself today 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
Ali Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Hi What's a PCP? don't want any professional help any more. I got put off after seeing a few therapists. I'm just not good at opening up and being so vulnerable. Sometimes I feel like I tell them what I think they want to hear so that they feel they're helping, which isn't exactly the point! Out of interest, did you ever agree with the bipolar diagnosis? Ali <p>Several periods of depression starting in teens. 2010- 2014 escitalopram 20mgs. tapered to 5mgApril 2011- December 2011 seroquel2012-2014 don't know exact dates! 2014/15 Lamactil 200mg. 2015 lamactil 150mg. (Several attempts at coming off escitalopram and lamactil). March 2015 tapered to 37.5mg lamactil- Reinstated. July- Aug 2015 tapered off 5mg escitalopram. Dose reinstated Nov 2015. 7/1/16 Lamactil 137.5mg. Escitalopram 5mg; 24/3/16 lamactil 125mg; 20/4/16 escitalopram 4.5mg. 6/5 escit 4mg. 5/6/16 escit 3.6mg; 16/7/16 escit 3.5mg. 27/7/16 lamactil 112.5mg 18/8/16 escit 3.2mg 10/9/16 escit 3mg 16/9/16 lamactil 100mg 11/10/16 lamactil 112.5mg 28/10/16 escit 2.9mg 4/11/16 escit 2.8mg 10/11/16 lamactil 125mg 11/11/16 escit 2.7mg. 25/11/16 escit 2.4mg 10/12/16 escit 2mg 1/1/17 escit 1.7mg 17/1/17 escit 1.5mg 4/2/17 escit 1.4 19/2/17 escit 1.3mg 13/3/17 escit 1.2mg 22/3/17 escit 1mg. 4/5/17 escit 1.15mg 5/5/17 turmeric 800mg Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 Hi What's a PCP? don't want any professional help any more. I got put off after seeing a few therapists. I'm just not good at opening up and being so vulnerable. Sometimes I feel like I tell them what I think they want to hear so that they feel they're helping, which isn't exactly the point! Out of interest, did you ever agree with the bipolar diagnosis? Ali Hi Ali, A PCP is a primary care physician, you know, the first doc you see if you have a cold or whatnot. My psychiatric therapist, who i've been with for nearly 9 years is great except she absolutely wants me on a whole host of meds. As far the the Bipolar Diagnosis, I know my behaviors (especially emotional reactions to things) are quite intense. My moods can vacillate tremendously. I have had hallucinations in the past. This was all way before any meds or therapy was introduced to me. That being said, I really dislike the compartments that docs like to put people in, so I'm trying not to call myself bipolar. I am trying to see myself as more than this cluster of symptoms walking around. I have really put into practice methods for calming myself, distress tolerance, recognizing when the *hit is going to hit the fan and removing myself from situations in which I might not handle well. I know I need help sometimes for struggles that I have with my mental wellbeing. Bipolar? Possibly. Not sure. I hope you are well today. 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted April 8, 2016 Author Share Posted April 8, 2016 i'm feeing badly lately. I'm so detached. I'm just going through the motions of this one precious life. I can't focus. Time just passes. I'm not savoring much of any of my experiences. I haven't changed anything as far as meds go. I find I'm on cruise-control. Has anyone experienced this on lower doses of meds? I figured I would be coming out of my stupor but it had gotten slightly worse. Can't figure it out. AND......I'm very, very angry that I have been kept on these medicines for so long. Very angry. My memory has been totally trashed. I can't remember what I did today without having to really sit and think about it and there are still big holes. I'm so afraid that I'm not going to bounce back. I always considered my mind to be my best feature. now I can't count on it. I'm going to wait a little longer before I make a cut. I was planning to take a few more beads out of the Effexor on the 19th of April, making it 1 month since the last cut. I read smaller cuts, longer holds is the way to go. I struggle with this so much because i just want it all out of my body. very angry. any input is helpful. 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted April 8, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 8, 2016 Mmm, frustrating times for you. Not surprising that you are so angry - a very healthy response if you ask me. Maybe the anger is the precursor to other emotions? Bouncing back doesn't really seem to happen, but from what I've seen on s/a people do experience a gradual increase in healing and on looking back they often realise the are in a much better place than they had been. I'm a little confused (brain not working so well last few days) but are you still on 150mg effexor? Or are you now down to 12 beads from a 150mg capsule? You are right that longer holds and smaller drops can help to ease the w/d. I also like to work on fine-tuning how I am responding to my body. Noticing tiredness, hunger, thirst, stress... Noticing a need to stretch, or be outside, or do some calming meditation. When I really focus in on all the little things, I tend to go along much more easily. Perhaps that would help you too? And I seem to be pointing people to this a lot lately, but did you see GiaK's article It Gets Better: Living well while being sick She really gets what it's like to be in this situation, and she has really good ideas for how to deal with it. 2010 Fluoxetine 20mg. 2011 Escitalopram 20mg. 2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS. Effexor 150mg. 2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants. Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms). 8 month hold. 2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent). 2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well. Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea. 2023 December - Now on 5 micro-beads Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops. Symptoms begin to increase. 2024 April - Updosed to 6 microbeads - immediate increase in symptoms for 4 days. Decreased to 5 microbeads. 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.' Dr Gabor Mate. Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 I feel really badly. I decreased over months but not in a uniform manner. Nauseated every day, Extremely angry, feeling detached. I'm still on stupid abilify because I get movement disorders when I try to decrease that. i just feel sickly all. The.time. i forgot how to do the signature thing. I'm weary 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
MollyN Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Hi rausmitcha, I'm so sorry you're in such a bad way. Mostly we all wash up here at the end of ourselves thanks to these drugs and trying to stop taking them. Sounds like you're having horrible withdrawal effects. Goodness, I remember the anger was so extreme and raw. I know that a moderator will come and offer advice to help ease your symptoms, but I just wanted to say hi and welcome you here xxxmollyn Drug history 20mg paxil in 2001 - 4 months use 20mg paxil in 2003 - 2 months use 20mg paxil in 2008 - 8 years continuous Withdrawal history: March 2014 - disastrous alternate day taper Jan 2015 - 15mg to 10mg. Disaster Sept 2015 - 10mg to 5mg. Disaster. Reinstated to 6mg. Relief Oct 2015 - started slow 10% taper Oct 2016 - at 4mg- stop taking paxil (not recommended) I'm not a medical professional. Seek advice from a knowledgeable medical practitioner. Link to comment
rausmitcha Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Thank you. I'm so sad and tired of all this I want to be as well as I can but lately it's such a struggle to do much of anything 1998: Diagnosed Bipolar 1 9/15/15: abilify 3 mg, down from 10 mg. started the reduction in 5/15. On Effexor 150 mg down from 300mg. in that time, my psychiatrist wanted me to try Latuda, which I tried then quit after 5 days. Then there was the Rexulti .5 mg for 3 days. I quit that, too. 11/4/15: increased abilify from 3mg to 4mg at behest of docs because I was feeling extremely detached + volatile + moods vascillating wildly 3/19/16: 3mg abilify, 150 mg effexor -12beads. 9/13/17 - 1st day off of venlafaxine in ~ 12 yrs 10/4/17 : 2 mg abilify Supplements: Magnesium Citrate ~300mg "it's not rotten, it's a good brain!" ------Young Frankenstein------ Link to comment
MollyN Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 Morning Sorry, I didn't realise you weren't new here xxx I'm so sorry you're feeling grim. I saw you last posted back in April 2016, what's that year and a half been like for you? big hugs mollyn Drug history 20mg paxil in 2001 - 4 months use 20mg paxil in 2003 - 2 months use 20mg paxil in 2008 - 8 years continuous Withdrawal history: March 2014 - disastrous alternate day taper Jan 2015 - 15mg to 10mg. Disaster Sept 2015 - 10mg to 5mg. Disaster. Reinstated to 6mg. Relief Oct 2015 - started slow 10% taper Oct 2016 - at 4mg- stop taking paxil (not recommended) I'm not a medical professional. Seek advice from a knowledgeable medical practitioner. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now