GJames Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Hello everyone. My name is James and I am currently not taking an SSRI, however I was back in 2006 through 2008. I was prescribed Paxil for Anxiety/Depression and then I switched to Celexa after having a difficult time getting used to the Paxil. I always felt some what numb being on an SSRI and the sexual side effects were terrible. I also experienced some weight gain. The medication did help with my anxiety and depression to a degree but I still experienced some symptoms and was never completely satisfied with the results. I determined that the negative effects didn't outweigh the benefit so I started to ween off. I was having a hard time due to all the classic withdrawal symptoms many here experience. I found a website called Paxil progress and successfully weened off using the tapering schedule there and have been SSRI free since early 2009. So, why am I here you're all probably wondering.... Although I've been SSRI free for years now I experience extreme moments of anxiety and depression and I'm considering talking to my doctor about medicinal options to help me cope. I've tried all of the home remedies and I still suffer from anxiety and depression. I've even accepted that this is just the way I am but I'm a mess and my life is very stressful and full of constant worry and nervousness. There's a question here somewhere I promise! Are there any SSRI's that are safe or other options that will help? I don't think I feel as I do because I'm still experiencing "symptoms". I feel the way I did long before I ever went on medication. If you read all of this I appreciate it. What happened to Paxil progress? Link to comment
nz11 Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 GJames, Greetings from another pp-er. Paxil progress came to an unfortunate end, basically the owner decided it was time to move on and closed it refusing/not seeing the value in passing it on. Enough said. You may recall a saying from pp and it was this 'Same church different pew' That about sums up all ssris....they are all known to have sexual side effects. Healy said at the Yale Symposium 2015 "Within one week of going on an ssri a person can be sexually damaged ...and that damage can last forever. " And here is another one 'You do not swallow good mental health' and that goes for legal and illegal drugs. Are you eating healthy exercising having something to look forward to. Are you setting some goals. Able to help others in any capacity. Tried taking omega 3 and magnesium. I have been having a sneak peak reading the 'Look inside' amazon books portion of Gotzsches new book Deadly psychiatry and organized denial. Its just come out as an e-book. I hate these e-books b/c there is no way that i can see how to print or photocopy anything....anyway i digress. In this book Gotzsche says to keep away from doctors should one be suffering anything that an ssri could be prescribed for. [Location 247] . Well that is nothing new to us. But i like this statement because its the song that i have also been singing. Are you getting proper sleep and rest ...i say that because in Whitakers new book 'Under the influence' he makes an interesting point and it is this: .. during World War II psychiatrists and other physicians assigned to neuropsychiatric units treated soldiers traumatized by battle. In that setting, the doctors found that within five days miracles happened with 60% of soldiers identified as “neuropsychiatric casualties” returning to duty having received simply psychotherapy plus rest. Another interesting and revealing statement was made in 1942 by Rennie, prior to the advent of SSRI or ECT, “Depressive states had a 95% recovery rate …with a median duration time of six months. This came from 'The depressive spectrum' by Schyuler Whitaker quotes from this book in 'Anatomy of an epidemic' I am sorry you are struggling with these psychological issues personally i would seek non drug solutions. Many ssris addicts would love to be 7 years drug free. The long term outlook if you go down that road are worsening outcomes. Hey welcome to sa theres heaps of great reading here....and heaps of pp refugees as well. 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
GJames Posted September 24, 2015 Author Share Posted September 24, 2015 Thanks for the response. I was James back on PP. I posted occasionally but haven't for a long time so I was surprised when I went to access the site and found that it was shut down. I stumbled on this place after searching for paxil progress. Thank you google! I do exercise and I keep busy. I always feel like I have something positive to look forward to but currently I'm struggling. I'm getting ready to retire and in a few weeks I'll be expected to make a retirement speech at a going away celebration. One of my biggest fears is public speaking and the thought of getting up and speaking in front of my peers, superiors and subordinates has been triggering anxiety and panic attacks. I've written a very short speech and have read it several times. I feel like I know well what I need and want to say as I have it almost memorized. I think our retirement speeches are already naturally written anyways. I didn't want a going away retirement dinner but my co workers insisted and so did my family and I didn't want to let anyone down. I'm embarrassed over my condition and I really want to be able to pull this off for them. I keep telling myself I can but I'm just a mess. Link to comment
nz11 Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 James everyone gets nervous and fearful doing pubic speaking. Let me tell you something ....the fact that you feel fearful and nervous when doing a speech is this 'you are the only one who knows that!' So fake it until you make it. Holy cow you have almost memorized a whole speech ...gee with my paxil brain i couldnt do that . I also believe these drugs have left us with an intolerance to stress. Healy states this and i believe he is right. I do think though that it gets better in time. If i am aware of this fact ...that the anxiety and panic attack are nothing to be fearful of but will pass then i can just relax through it. Clair Weeks uses the AAF approach to nervous implosions Acknowledge accept float. You could see this as an adventure. See it as a privelege. What an honor to be asked to do a retirement speech ...some of us dont even have jobs. Hey you are fronting a listener friendly audience they all love you ..gosh look at what you said, "I didn't want a going away retirement dinner but my co workers insisted." In the past I have knocked CBT however this is a time when i believe cbt is of benefit. ie if you change your thoughts you can change your feelings. Its not about you its about others you are encouraging them and celebrating with them. What do you think. Hey do you have toastmasters in your town maybe you can get a practice or two in there ...hey what about some relaxation techniques...that could be helpful. Sounds like you are doing the right things ...keep yourself safe keep away from a doctor. 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
Nomoreheadmeds Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 hi Gjames I hope you can find some peace within and enjoy your retirement.I'm sure you will Sertraline 100mg amytrip 60mg diazepam 4mg (and when needed) since late 90's.Reduced all meds over 6 wks (too short) last doses 13 wks ago.Still having withdrawals.I would have done it differently 5th august 2015 reinstated 5mg amytripiline.increased to 10mg amtrip 9th sept 2015. Link to comment
Mort81 Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Hey James sorry your going through this rough patch. Public speaking can be awful. I think at least 50% of people are terrified of it. I know that before taking ssri I struggled with it and even on ssri it was no different.I understand anxiety alot as my body has been through the gamet since I was 19. I would really hold back on restarting an SSRI for this but maybe take a small dose of a benzo before speaking? Something you carry around with you just for the odd times you may need it like public speaking. Or do what many people do at weddings or big events before making a speech. Enjoy a beer or a drink but only to take the edge off. Just some things that have worked for me. I found SSRI did nothing for this type of thing and obviously its not something that can be taken when needed. SSRI'S just terrify me right now. Although like many people on here when I first started taking them they helped tremendously with my anxiety. I think it temporarily caused a change in my mind and body that distracted me from the self defeating worrying thoughts I was accustomed to practicing daily. However I really didn't need them after a few years and I got some pretty awful side effects. The WD has been 100 x more painful than anything I've ever gone through before. For me the best tool for fixing my anxiety or panic was the power of distraction. I got pretty good at focusing over the years on my anxiety and panic. In fact I was like a dog on a 12oz T-bone! So I have been using my focus that I have to focus on things I like. Sports, movies, shows, reading etc. Sometimes I even forget that I was anxious or in WD its weird. I keep practicing this focus until I own it and I continue to do so daily and one day I wont be in WD and my body's response wont be anxiety about my situation . I never try and wrestle with my feelings or thoughts I just get pinned! Was on 30mg (Lexapro) for 7-8yrs20mg for 3 months (This was my choice my Doc wanted me to drop much faster)15 mg 2week10mg 2 weeks 5 mg 1 week0 since August 24th . PPI Dexlant 30 mg taper has begun. Cutting 20% currently. using zantac as needed. Benzo is currently 0.10mg Link to comment
NoMoreADs Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Hello everyone. My name is James and I am currently not taking an SSRI, however I was back in 2006 through 2008. I was prescribed Paxil for Anxiety/Depression and then I switched to Celexa after having a difficult time getting used to the Paxil. I always felt some what numb being on an SSRI and the sexual side effects were terrible. I also experienced some weight gain. The medication did help with my anxiety and depression to a degree but I still experienced some symptoms and was never completely satisfied with the results. I determined that the negative effects didn't outweigh the benefit so I started to ween off. I was having a hard time due to all the classic withdrawal symptoms many here experience. I found a website called Paxil progress and successfully weened off using the tapering schedule there and have been SSRI free since early 2009. So, why am I here you're all probably wondering.... Although I've been SSRI free for years now I experience extreme moments of anxiety and depression and I'm considering talking to my doctor about medicinal options to help me cope. I've tried all of the home remedies and I still suffer from anxiety and depression. I've even accepted that this is just the way I am but I'm a mess and my life is very stressful and full of constant worry and nervousness. There's a question here somewhere I promise! Are there any SSRI's that are safe or other options that will help? I don't think I feel as I do because I'm still experiencing "symptoms". I feel the way I did long before I ever went on medication. If you read all of this I appreciate it. What happened to Paxil progress? Hi, did you have any insomnia when you got off the meds? If so, how long did it last before it got better once you were off? 1992-Feb. 2016- Took almost every antidepressant on the market. Cold turkeyed most of the medications I took. Stopped taking Paxil February 8 2016. I tapered the dose from 50 mg to 0 over the course of about 10 weeks On no medications as of Feb. 8, 2016 As of 10/23/16-Still unable to sleep more than 4 to 5 hours a night, sometimes less Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted October 23, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 23, 2016 Hi James, and welcome to SA "Are there any SSRI's that are safe" SA is a site for going off psychiatric drugs, not for recommending them. There are other internet sites for discussing drugs to take. "Although I've been SSRI free for years now I experience extreme moments of anxiety and depression and I'm considering talking to my doctor about medicinal options to help me cope. I've tried all of the home remedies and I still suffer from anxiety and depression. I've even accepted that this is just the way I am but I'm a mess and my life is very stressful and full of constant worry and nervousness." I am extremely concerned that you are considering returning to psychiatric drugs after having been off for 7 years. There is no magic pill. You talk about "home remedies". Do you mean something that you ingest? If so, then it seems you are seeking a solution in something you take, rather than something that you do. There are many non-drug techniques for coping. You might have to try different ones to find which one, or which combination, works for you, or what works best in a particular situation. It takes about 2 weeks to form a habit (The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg). Learning something new takes practice, persistence and patience. NZ11 mentioned Claire Weekes. She was a doctor who suffered from anxiety and learned and taught ways to cope. Here are some suggestions: Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System Acceptance Acceptance and Mindfulness Acupuncture - Posts #6 & #8 (not detox or stimulation) "Change the channel" -- dealing with cognitive symptoms Change cognitive framing - Redirect - Another Way Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for anxiety, depression Cognitive Behavior Therapy lessons Guided Meditations, Calming Videos, Sleep Hypnosis Journalling - Therapeutic Writing & Health Benefits Light boxes for depression and sleep disorders Yoga for calming (very simple poses can help greatly) * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
nz11 Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 GJ can you give an update how is retirement going. 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
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