Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted November 8, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 8, 2014 Missing you Alex and hope you are still improving. **I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge. Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem) 1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat 2002 effexor. Tapered March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads. Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013 Restarted taper Nov 2013 OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015 Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014 Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg July 2017 30mg. May 15 2018 25mg Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33 Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted November 8, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 8, 2014 I miss you too! Maybe you could just explain to us sometime...? 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. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 8, 2014 Administrator Share Posted November 8, 2014 You'll have to send a personal message to alex to catch up with him. 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. Link to comment
Member cymbaltawithdrawal5600 Posted January 30, 2015 Member Share Posted January 30, 2015 "Alexjuice" you changed your name! But your topic has the old moniker..... I remember I and some others had mistakenly called you this in the past. Hope you are doing well! We've missed you, lots. What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878 July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site. Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey. Link to comment
btdt Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Are you still ok now Alex? WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG Had a car accident in 85 Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89 Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above. One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to comment
alexjuice Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 I want to take a moment and provide an update. I haven't been posting on the forum partly because I had my feelings hurt and partly for other reasons. I think its good for me to let this Alex thread rest in peace but I'd like to 'unretire' and give an update. Hereafter I do hope to post now and then on the open forums. For any old friend posters of mine, stay tuned for an invitation to friend me on social media. I am doing a lot better lately but still, have a ways to go to get to great health. I have been seeing doctors who use muscle testing to shape a treatment program. I have dramatically improved by taking advantage of this technique but it is not perfect and I am still having sensitivity reactions or am easily overwhelmed. I have tried to explain my difficulties to my doctors but adapting their recommendations is quite challenging because they can not really understand why I think I am a special case and why I am not following the program exactly. I am muddling through - > 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. Ultimately I am coming to the idea that I should learn the muscle testing techniques and use them to help people like me to get through toxicity reactions, as I am considering brain damage caused by psych drugs. I am finding I now possess a unique degree of knowledge that I have a lot of learned to pass on to the next patient. So, someday in the future, I'd like to open a residential living home for people like me because I think the recovery period should go a lot faster if setbacks can be mitigated -- and I think they can be. But the first thing I have to do is restore my body and resiliency. I am working now on balancing hormones and thereafter working to restore bone loss. I am challenged with infections such as a mold colony in my sinus cavity but the attempts to break it up have unleashed storms of virus and the matrix materials (aluminum and heavy metals) to circulate and cause much terror. I am feeling a lot better though. Somedays I am normal, or feeling better than 20 yrs, but I still must eat a restricted diet (hypoallergenic, no mold, no sugar, etc). I am having legitimate hopes to get a PT job in the next few weeks and to be "recovered" within a 12 month timeframe. I am very excited !! I limit my computer use as strictly as I can, but I am putting more updates on my personal FB account. If any of my old friends here would like to add me, plese send me a PM for contact info. You can still reach me here on PM. And I do hope to add some value to the forum in the open threads so I am 'unretired' or have made a comeback (lol), but I am hoping to keep it lowkey. So, yea, look me up on FB if you are willing to get real-namezy or I can be reached through private message here. Hope you guys are doing good. "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted February 16, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 16, 2015 Welcome back Alex, I'm glad you decided to update and its wonderful to hear that you are doing better now. I am challenged with infections such as a mold colony in my sinus cavity but the attempts to break it up have unleashed storms of virus and the matrix materials (aluminum and heavy metals) to circulate and cause much terror. When this happens, how long does the storm usually last? Is this feeling of terror similar to the withdrawal terror that some of us experience? Opening a residential home for recovery is a great idea, I think they should be all over the world. Maybe they could be funded by the fines paid by the pharmacological companies when they are caught and convicted of their various crimes. How long has it been now since you've been drug free? I don't know if its just me, but your signature isn't showing up. 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
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted February 16, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 16, 2015 Hi Alex, I'm so pleased to see you here again, I was thinking about you today and considering sending a pm to see how you are. I came in tonight and here you are! I'm glad that you are feeling better, just reading your post I can see that you have improved a lot and happy to see that. I think a residential home is a brilliant idea and agree with Petunia they should be all over the world paid for by fines from big pharma. **I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge. Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem) 1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat 2002 effexor. Tapered March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads. Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013 Restarted taper Nov 2013 OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015 Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014 Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg July 2017 30mg. May 15 2018 25mg Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33 Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible Link to comment
Wildflower0214 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I think a residential home is a brilliant idea and agree with Petunia they should be all over the world paid for by fines from big pharma. Amen! 2005-Zoloft bad reaction.....2006-Lexepro......2012-Upped Lexepro.......2013-Upped Lexepro......2/2014- Attempted Taper Lexepro...2/2014- Updosed Lexepro.......3/2014-Ativan.....5/2014- CT switch from Lexpro to Effexor..... 5/2014-7/2014-Tapered Ativan from 1mg to .25mg.....6/2014-Bad reaction to Effexor........7/2014- Rapid taper Effexor every other day......7/5/2014- Off Effexor.......7/2014-12/2014 - Ativan .25mg.......12/25/2014 -Taper Ativan by 4% due to paradoxical reaction .24mg...11/18/2015-Taper Ativan 1% CURRENTLY ON: .2376mg Ativan taken in 6 .0396mg doses. Link to comment
Wildflower0214 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Alex, I've read a lot if your thread. I'm so happy you updated us and that you are doing so well. Well wishes to you. 2005-Zoloft bad reaction.....2006-Lexepro......2012-Upped Lexepro.......2013-Upped Lexepro......2/2014- Attempted Taper Lexepro...2/2014- Updosed Lexepro.......3/2014-Ativan.....5/2014- CT switch from Lexpro to Effexor..... 5/2014-7/2014-Tapered Ativan from 1mg to .25mg.....6/2014-Bad reaction to Effexor........7/2014- Rapid taper Effexor every other day......7/5/2014- Off Effexor.......7/2014-12/2014 - Ativan .25mg.......12/25/2014 -Taper Ativan by 4% due to paradoxical reaction .24mg...11/18/2015-Taper Ativan 1% CURRENTLY ON: .2376mg Ativan taken in 6 .0396mg doses. Link to comment
btdt Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Hi Alex glad your back and feeling better. I am not a real namesy type of person but I will keep up with your posts here. peace WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG Had a car accident in 85 Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89 Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above. One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to comment
alexjuice Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 Thanks yall. I do think at some point I will rent rooms at a house for wellbeing recovery but this will be in the future. I need to get well, get to making a living, and then I need real estate prices to cooperate a la 2008 ... so all this happens and I will be in business. In other words, I am waiting and seeing. "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
Muddles Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Lovely to see you doing much better. I have tried to pm you but can't. 2008 - Doctors appointment with stress induced anxiety led to Citalopram prescription. Severe adverse reaction Mirtazapine prescribed - adverse reaction but told to stay on. Poop out - December 2013 15mg Currently on 13.5mg, April 12mg May 10th - 11mg June 10th - 10mg July 8th - 9mg September - 0mg Link to comment
Administrator Karma Posted February 21, 2015 Administrator Share Posted February 21, 2015 Great to see you here, Alex. You sound much improved from our last PM. I think that muscle testing (applied kinesiology) is useful. It is similar to the bio meridian testing that I rely on. But I also find that I have to go slowly and make one change at a time because it isn't flawless. Take care of yourself. I'll stay in touch via PM here on SA. Wishing you continued improving health! Oh, and here's a Karma hug Karma 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 Link to comment
alexjuice Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Karma, thanks! Hugs to you! I am doing better overall, for sure. What a strange trip this has been for all of us !! "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 23, 2015 Administrator Share Posted February 23, 2015 Well, alex, it sure has been a long, strange, bumpy road. Very happy to hear you're doing better. I added our cheerful "here comes the sun" symbol☼to the title of your Intro topic, to show you're recovering.Please continue to let us know how you're doing. I hope you will add your story to our Recovery Success Stories eventually! 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. Link to comment
alexjuice Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 It has been an unbelievably bumpy road. And could it get any stranger? I am finding more and more that things do happen for a reason. And I get the feeling that things may start to get interesting, right about now. "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
Wildflower0214 Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I hope they get interesting in a very positive way for you... Glad you are so much improved 2005-Zoloft bad reaction.....2006-Lexepro......2012-Upped Lexepro.......2013-Upped Lexepro......2/2014- Attempted Taper Lexepro...2/2014- Updosed Lexepro.......3/2014-Ativan.....5/2014- CT switch from Lexpro to Effexor..... 5/2014-7/2014-Tapered Ativan from 1mg to .25mg.....6/2014-Bad reaction to Effexor........7/2014- Rapid taper Effexor every other day......7/5/2014- Off Effexor.......7/2014-12/2014 - Ativan .25mg.......12/25/2014 -Taper Ativan by 4% due to paradoxical reaction .24mg...11/18/2015-Taper Ativan 1% CURRENTLY ON: .2376mg Ativan taken in 6 .0396mg doses. Link to comment
alexjuice Posted May 16, 2015 Author Share Posted May 16, 2015 I had to go on the run because of an environmental exposure but am finally back on track. I am very careful with how I eat and I am doing a basic program that is helping me to restore my functioning. My neuro functioning is still prtty abherrent but there are some positivies with this as well, I am much more sensitive to things happening around -- for the good and bad! I also have a serious type of fungal infection that is requiring my attention but I have gotten it under control and once the fungal infection is gone, it is very likely that many of remaining symptoms will recede -- this is because the infection requires a lot of energy from the immune system that can otherwise be used to rebuild the nervous system. I will continue to follow my diet -- no sugar!, hypoallergenic, paleo -- and poop everyday (it is great to have bowel function!!) and after the mold infection is gone I will need to restore mineral levels (I have persistent mineral deficiencies) and then bone, tissue, and muscle (I've been run down physically). The last 40-45 days have been hard, I was running from place to place unable to tolerate wifi signal or EMF and really hurting. But I am now back on track, so I am ffeeling very grateful. This is an EXCITING TIME for me, though there a lot of challenges ahead too !! "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 16, 2015 Administrator Share Posted May 16, 2015 So good to hear, alex! Tell us more about your basic program. 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. Link to comment
alexjuice Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 I had to go on the run because of an environmental exposure but am finally back on track. ... The last 40-45 days have been hard, I was running from place to place unable to tolerate wifi signal or EMF and really hurting. But I am now back on track, so I am ffeeling very grateful. This is an EXCITING TIME for me, though there a lot of challenges ahead too !! Boy, did I jinx myself!! The last two months were even worse than the two preceeding ones. I will be more cautious in making declarations!! "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
Muddles Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Sorry to hear that. Thought you had gone very quiet. Hope you pick up soon. 2008 - Doctors appointment with stress induced anxiety led to Citalopram prescription. Severe adverse reaction Mirtazapine prescribed - adverse reaction but told to stay on. Poop out - December 2013 15mg Currently on 13.5mg, April 12mg May 10th - 11mg June 10th - 10mg July 8th - 9mg September - 0mg Link to comment
alexjuice Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 Update: I spent May and June living in a hotel and a tent. My sensitivity to EMF got worse while under the stress of this living situation. During this time I was able to reduce my fungal infections dramatically though. Thankfully we moved back into a house a few weeks ago. Now I am able to start to restore my body somewhat while still detoxing fungal toxins. I have to be careful not to do this too fast because I can damage my brain and lose equilibrium. My immune system remains weak and my hormone levels are off because of tissue damage due to autoimmune factors. Without sufficient minerals and hormone production I have been wasting bone pretty dramatically for a couple of years. I intermittently struggle with bowel movements also. Maybe this sounds like a bad health crisis, in fact, I am doing much much better than I ever have. So I am very grateful. I have seen many alternative medical doctors and I have been a challenging case for them because of all the damage I did to myself and the architecture of my nervous system. Egos run large with healers and my communication ability is never 100% so I am stressed by my doctors. I am stressing them too. But I try to convey that I do believe in their methods but that I am a special case because of sensitivity and not having much empty space to absorb mistakes. I got the best results with the skilled practitioners who use Ulan muscle testing and I've also got a lot of benefit from mineral analysis (hair testing) and from nutrition generally. I was under 150 pounds in 2014 and I am now 170 here in July of 2015. I have treated multiple infections and really reduced the toxic load. I have been more fortunate than I can ever express. I have also broadened my spiritual horizons and abandoned some of old ideas as these have been disproven by my experience. So I have made more changes than I can ever express really. Overall I am feeling frequently fortunate that all of this has happened because I never ever ever in a billion million years would have examined all of my own assumptions in I didn't absolutely need to to stay alive. For the first couple of years I felt badly victimized. And then we found immunotoxic and carcinogenic stachybotrys, chaetomium and aspergillus molds entirely colonized inside our home. And then I felt unlucky. Over time though I started to feel that maybe things were happening for a reason and that I wasn't as unlucky or as much of a victim as I thought I was, that development requires hardship. I do have some trouble relating to the regular world now. I have been through multiple calamities including psychiatric diagnosis, disability from the meds, alcohol and drug addiction, bankruptcy, suicide attempt, mold exposure, immune collpase and lyme diagnosis, having no place to live and no possessions and that finally I am at peace with it all. I feel ahead of the game to a degree that some of the calamity has been visited upon me sooner, but this is an esoteric idea. I expect over the next month to continue to work with my team to balance the detox with the building back up. I have to restore connective tissue, endocrine glands, bone marrow, and immune function. I also have to continue to remove toxins from the liver. So there is much to be done and I am looking forward to that. I have received a lot of support here on this forum since March of 11 and I have been very grateful for all of you who have followed my case. I also had moments of frustration here but overall I am very glad for all of the important relationships that were discovered here. I think about you guys often and I am always rooting for everyone here to reach their goals!! Good luck yall !! "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted July 23, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted July 23, 2015 Hi Alexj, I'm glad to hear of your improvement from the dreadful odyssey you have endured.. onward and upward. Thanks for checking in.. peace and hugs. Skyler As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 23, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 23, 2015 Oh, alex, I am very happy that you're finally at this place. Please visit and let us know how you're doing. 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. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Jemima Posted July 23, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted July 23, 2015 Wow, what an amazing journey! I've believed, for a long time, that "psychiatric" disorders are symptoms of physical problems that are as yet undiagnosed and your case certainly supports that viewpoint. It's good to hear from you. Do keep in touch. Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's RazorIntroduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/ Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers. Link to comment
alexjuice Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 UPDATE: So I googled 'alexjuice' and my thread returned the 4th result. Hooray! How much easier to search for it! I am glad my username is not JohnSmith! I am feeling quite good lately. I am always having two crisises at any one time, and one is always related to environmental toxins. And this is still true. So right now we are having a problem in the house from a dang'd moldy mattress, AGAIN about mattresses. But we have made progress in remediating it, so I am expecting we will be okay in the house in a few days. Before this it was a rental car and before this was the air mattress which was making me sick. But I just keep grinding it out and moving forward as best as I can. Today I was in the North location of the pharmacy I frequent and the tech was a man I haven't seen in 2 yrs and he was shocked at how good I looked. What did you do to recover, alexjuice??? Was it just time??? It was time and energy [i mean, what can I say?] but mostly it was work, work and work. And hanging on for life a lot of the time. I still lack resiliency so I can easily crumble but I am doing pretty well. I dio the hand scan again and I was only off by 35 degrees (so to speak) when two yrs ago I'd be off by 150. I did some labwork for the MD and my levels were good. A positive ANA at 1:80 was the only abnormality. Even my T was pretty good at 450 or so. I am still having bone problems, especially after the mattress, but even these tests have been good lately. I am still always dealing with two crises at all times, and one is always environmental toxins, so it's not time to celebrate but I am just so much stronger overall. My body has been so badly messed up, i lost about 100lbs between 2010 and 2013, that it will take a long time to rebuild, and this is probably still true. My anxiety is pretty much gone. My insomnia ia mostly gone, about once a month I have a horrible night's sleep and a few times a month I only get 4 hrs but I have a lot of nights were I get more than 8. Considering I didn't get probably a single 8 hrs night sleep for months at a time in 2012, 13 and 14, I am really happy about the sleep. I am doing better with sex symptoms also, waking again with erections and normal sensation. I am still pretty sensitive to supplements. B vitamins tax my nervous system badly, for example. I can have some coffee now and then but I rarely do because it is stripping minerals and coffee is often moldy, but I can have it the afternoon and sleep a normal sleep, the point I am trying to make. I have pretty much normal nerve funciton in the intestines and have a bowel movement 5-15x a week, so I'm extremely happy. The main practitioner I am seeing today, we recently reflected on my case. When I came to see him I'd just left St Louis and the hospital and I couldn't feel my bowel or make a BM. My bones were losing material badly. My testosterone was about 100. I couldn't barely sleep. I had no energy and I was toxic with metals. And since then we have basically corrected all of those problems, or atleast improved them. So even though there is always something in the form of two crises and one is always environmetal toxins, I really have little to complain about. And, lastly, even though I am pretty weak physically I am very resilient mentally and very self confident because for many yrs now I have been managing in a difficult environment and I have been doing very well. If I was my own father, I would be very proud of me. If I can make a little more progress I am going to move forward on looking for some land to buy and to start a restorative ranch for well being. I don't know what that will look like quite yet. it may just be a plot of land with a tiny house or two but time will tell on that. I am also thinking I should ask a girl out on a date. Since I do not go to bars, restaurants, coffee shops, places with wifi or loud places, I will suggest her and I go for a walk. This is fortuitous because I need to find some people to walk with since walking outside was a big part of my program and I need to get back on it. Maybe the girl at the juice bar or the girl who works at the video place? I don't know time will tell. I was also thinking that the fall was when I used to go to rehab and hospitals. 7 yrs ago today I was on my way to a mental hospital. 8 yrs ago , soon to go to a rehab. 10 yrs ago today I was living in a rehab. 11 yrs ago today I was living in a rehab. And 20 yrs ago today I was a HS senior -- wow!! So just getting well it is a weird feeling of having nothing from the past to return to. Many yrs lost. For a long time, I thought I was wronged and that that time was stolen from me but now I feel like I gained a lot of valuable knowledge and that the cost of the knowledge was very high but also this was because the knowledge was very valuable. See what I mean? So now, as crazy it may sound, I would do the whole thing again. Even though I have been through a lot, I am expecting the most interesting parts are still yet to come, so I am going to keep going and see what is store. Good luck yall "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
Meimeiquest Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 So, so cool, Alex. What a journey! Looking back now, do you see this all as drug-induced problems or something else? For me, I see my journey starting with stress (there was a lot of hurt in the first couple of years of our marriage that I greatly mishandled) to asymptomatic leaky gut and downhill from there, but I'm not sure. I've "only" been married 25 years. I really appreciate your popping in. BTW, my husband and his friends called them "walk talks" back in the day . 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted September 5, 2015 Administrator Share Posted September 5, 2015 Oh, alex, I am weeping with joy! So very happy to hear you're doing so much better. Thank you for posting about this. 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. Link to comment
johnson Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Wow, one of the best updates ever! Link to comment
Mentor ang Posted September 5, 2015 Mentor Share Posted September 5, 2015 Welcome back! You sound so well................ I hope I can get over the sense of years lost, and my anger.......... one day 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
Mentor ang Posted September 5, 2015 Mentor Share Posted September 5, 2015 Yes best update ever!!!!!!!!!!! Im in Australia, take me out on a date anytime! xxxxxxxxxxxxxx I like you photo hahahaha! xx keep well! 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
alex Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Another anonymous hero. Good for you Alex!! 4 years aprox. on 150mgs.Effexor for situational major depression.No AD before.Tapered 150-0mgs in 3 months. Tapered Quetiapine,Xanax in the last 18 months.NO med of any kind anymore.First 3 months off acute w/dProtracted w/d ever since.Symptoms:Anxiety,anhedonia,insomnia,tinnitus,PSSD 04/13/2014 Awful Relapse.Recovered fairly fast. 3 years and 4 months off. waves and windows.Very much recovered. November 2015,health issue.Setback. Link to comment
Pugknows Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Alex, this update made me cry. I have hope! Real hope! Bless you, Pug January 2012 - Prescribed 900mg gabapentin and 30mg Norco for lower lumber spinal stenosis pain. September 2013 - Spinal fusion surgery, 6 levels. Hospital ramped up meds 1500mg gabapentin, 100mg Norco, 80mg Oxycontin, 25mg Fentanyl patch. January 2014 - Sever nausea daily and with back pain every 4 hours. 2 trips to ER. First endoscopy found ulcer. Treated with Sucralfate and PPI. Second endo in May found no ulcers. Doctors said it was the opiates causing the nausea. CT'd Oxycontin, Fentanyl patch. July 2014 - Lost 48 lbs. due to not eating because of severe nausea. GP prescribed Prozac 20mg and Ativan 2mg prn. Tried for 4 days, quit. Two week followup GP said keep taking Prozac. 4 days, quit again. Ativan taken rarely prn for anxiety and appetite. August 2014 - Went to detox. Off opiates. Still nauseous, helmet head, drugged feeling. Doctor CT'd gabapentin. Ended up in ER. Found 2 gallstones. Gabapentin reinstated at 900mg. Tried botched up and down taper to get off Gabapentin. No tapering advice from doctor. Said to just CT again. September 2014 - Coded on table during gallbladder surgery. Developed liver biloma due to CPR by doctor. Had bile bulb inserted for 2 wks to drain. October 2014 - Gallbladder removed. Still nauseous, 3am cortisol surging, drugged helmet head, vertigo, breathlessness, whooshing head, heart palps. November 8th, 2014 - CT'd gabapentin suggested by family and 4 different doctors. Was told no withdrawal is associated with gabapentin. Have been in hell ever since. No windows, just one big tsunami every day with same symptoms for 4 months. December 26, 2014 - Found SA. At least I know I'm not insane. My family thinks I'm doing this to myself. Akathesia has become unbearable. March 10, 2015 - In absolute daily hell with no relief. Currently taking magnesium 200mg before bedtime. Link to comment
Lexy Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 My hero! Started Effexor August 2012 Sept'12-150mg=extreme anxiety Oct'12 cut half-75mg severe wds Feb 2013 68.5mg. Mar'13- 65mg. Apr'13-59mg. May'13-57mg. June '13-52mg Aug'13 49.75mg. Sep'13-48.75. Nov'13-47mg Dec'13-45..5mg May 2014 42mg. Jun'14 40mg (depressive mood started). Aug'14 -40mg/ started brintellix 2.5mg Oct '14 -39 Nov'14 36.89 Dec'14 34.45 Jan 2015- 31 Feb'15 29mg. Mar'15 26.72. Apr'15 24.48. May'15 22.31mg. Jun'15 20.30mg Aug'15-18.89. Oct'15 16.96. Nov/16- 16.10. Dec/15- 15mg Jan 2016-14.22. May'16 11.45. Aug'16-9.60. Sep/16- 8.88mg. Oct/16- 8.39mg. Nov/16- 8.13. Dec/16- 7.89 Link to comment
alexjuice Posted September 6, 2015 Author Share Posted September 6, 2015 Wow!! Thanks you guys! The support here has made a big difference for me! I have to say though that I have had a rough spell since writing this update a few days ago. In fact, I was thinking I need to be more cautious in the future because it seems like I continue to jinx myself by writing updates saying the coast is looking clear and then I hit with a setback. We had a mattress that had a bad toxin on it and I got quite ill and was losing a lot of bone. Had to pickup and go stay at a local hotel but the hotel triggered my environmental sensitivies (probably chemical cleaners) and I hardly slept for the last two nights when I was there. So came back home and working double time to clean up this place so my bones will stop hurting and collapsing in. I still think we can fix the house but I have some work to do. [it's always something!] All that said, I really appreciate all the kind words! THNX! "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment
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