Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted March 20, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 20, 2016 I agree with Fresh that reinstating is worth a look. You don't want to have to continue to struggle with all of that. 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
shelbytrev Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 I came off 5 months ago. Then they put me on 3 other meds in 2 month span. Finally it was Prozac for a month. I then tapered off that. Well I went through some terrible withdrawal. But now 2.5 months out from the Prozac I am experiencing disturbing intrusive repetitive thoughts that revolve around killing myself. It's like I can read something and it get stuck in my head. It's like my own voice keeps repeating it to me. I get extreme anxiety from this. I'm not hearing a voice. It's my own voice. This was not something that ever happened to me before meds and before my Effexor started pooping out. I don't think it's a psychotic thing like I have a voice in my head. Cause sometimes when I get involved in something or I'm talking to people I forget about it and then it starts again when I search for it. It's almost like I'm doing it to myself but I can't stop cause my brain is so frazzled from Coming off meds. Am I permenanaltly damaged from Effexor ? I think I came off way too fast because the intention was to put me on something else. So they took me off in two weeks. But I also tried Zoloft and Celexa then Prozac. I was probably having such severe withdrawal from Effexor that I thought were starting up effects of the new meds. So I never continued them. Should I reinstate this far out? Also I came off the Effexor because I was experiencing severe agitation and just feeling out of it. What if those symptoms come back? I'm so confused. And how would I reinstate? Going back on the full dose of 37.5? And I'm afraid if I go back on and it calms my repetitive thoughts that I won't want to come back off for fear of them coming back. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
shelbytrev Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 I came off 5 months ago. Then they put me on 3 other meds in 2 month span. Finally it was Prozac for a month. I then tapered off that. Well I went through some terrible withdrawal. But now 2.5 months out from the Prozac I am experiencing disturbing intrusive repetitive thoughts that revolve around killing myself. It's like I can read something and it get stuck in my head. It's like my own voice keeps repeating it to me. I get extreme anxiety from this. I'm not hearing a voice. It's my own voice. This was not something that ever happened to me before meds and before my Effexor started pooping out. I don't think it's a psychotic thing like I have a voice in my head. Cause sometimes when I get involved in something or I'm talking to people I forget about it and then it starts again when I search for it. It's almost like I'm doing it to myself but I can't stop cause my brain is so frazzled from Coming off meds. Am I permenanaltly damaged from Effexor ? I think I came off way too fast because the intention was to put me on something else. So they took me off in two weeks. But I also tried Zoloft and Celexa then Prozac. I was probably having such severe withdrawal from Effexor that I thought were starting up effects of the new meds. So I never continued them. Should I reinstate this far out? Also I came off the Effexor because I was experiencing severe agitation and just feeling out of it. What if those symptoms come back? I'm so confused. And how would I reinstate? Going back on the full dose of 37.5? And I'm afraid if I go back on and it calms my repetitive thoughts that I won't want to come back off for fear of them coming back. I'm also afraid of going to the doctor and telling him what's going on, I don't want to be diagnosed with something I don't really have like psychosis or ocd if it will eventually pass. Should I ride it out? Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted March 25, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 25, 2016 (edited) Hi ShelbyTrev, It would be a really big help for the mods if you could amend you signature a bit and include the dates of the different drugs. This will allow us to see exactly what your situation is and make suggestions based on those details (instead of having to try and sift through your topic). Thank you. Have a read of reinstating and stabilising to relieve withdrawal symptoms. And then come back here to ask any questions. If you do decide to reinstate DO NOT take the full dose of 37.5 mg. Your brain will have changed and adapted since being off the drug/s. The mods will suggest the drug to take and a small dose to try and you would take for 4 days, which is how long it takes for it to reach full state in the blood. Let us know what you think. After you stabilise on a dose, you will then hold for a while before tapering 10% of the previous dose. See Why Taper My Dose by 10%? Edited March 27, 2016 by ChessieCat Changed full dose of 3.75 mg to 37.5 mg * 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
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 25, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 25, 2016 Hi Shelbytrev , I have moved this post to your thread. Please read over the thread on reinstating here reinstating and stabilising to relieve withdrawal symptoms, Probably the effexor is the most likely candidate to reinstate as you took it for 9 years before the problems really started. Zoloft - 2 weeks celexa - 1 week prozac - 5 weeks 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
btdt Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Please know " It's my own voice." THIS IS THE MEDS CAUSING THIS! wishing you healing and 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
shelbytrev Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 I couldn't sleep last night cause I was up way past my bedtime. Family outing. Anyhow by 530 I was in a panic. Thinking about how I will die someday, What if I have really lost my mind? What if tent lock me up or I go crazy and can't take care of my kids. So I gave in and took 2 mg of Valium. Which didn't do much for me cause apparently it's not a lot and I was already in a great state of panic. unless benzos don't work well when your symptoms are induced by withdrawal. But I never was able to fall asleep. Needless to say my kids woke up and I got no sleep. So I'm assuming if I was experiencing something other than my own fixation or obsession on my intrusive thoughts like psychosis, ocd or schitzo that being tired , the little Valium I took or both would calm the repetitive thought? Even as crappy as I feel and being tired a little depressed. I'm hoping that this might mean it is withdrawal? And I'm not really losing it? The Valium should be pretty much wore off by now. Not that it did much. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted March 28, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 28, 2016 It is withdrawal, and it will get better. Not quickly, but people do heal. Have you considered Fresh's suggestion of reinstating? It usually offers the least difficult path. (Though I do understand why no-one ever wants to...) 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
shelbytrev Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 So I described my symptoms on another site and one girl said it sounds like I have schitzoeffecfive disorder ???? I'm hoping she's wrong. I don't think these people on other mental help sites take into consideration I just came off meds and never had these problems till that. But that site is just about mental illnesses not coming off meds. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
shelbytrev Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 I' don't think I'm really hallucinating Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus SquirrellyGirl Posted March 28, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 28, 2016 Hi Shelbytrev, Yes, you must be careful about who you are posting with, since it is quite the tendency for folks to look for diagnostic labels to slap on everyone. If you are vulnerable, this could tank you to have someone do that to you. I'm glad that you could acknowledge that this site clearly is not looking at things through the withdrawal perspective. I could easily be diagnosed bi-polar if I went to a doctor and described my mood swings that have been caused by psych drugs as well as coming off psych drugs! Perhaps you should resist the temptation to visit such sites, since they won't have much to offer. About the only good for us that can come from other such sites is if you are looking for therapeutic techniques to help you deal with stress, fear and negative thinking that come up in withdrawal. It is always good to be working on such! Try to spend your time investigating ways to support yourself positively :-) SG Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac. Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002 Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history. Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots! Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off. Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep. June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened! Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015. Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month. 12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18: 2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679 This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. Link to comment
shelbytrev Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Well if I googled all my symptoms from the beginning I thought I was everything from bipolar or becoming psychotic. So wither it's coming off Effexor or a huge coincidence that just now I'm becoming all of these things. Most people are advising me to give it at least a year of healing to see if some things get better. And then reevaluate. Unless of course my symptoms become so unbearable that I can't function. Or if I really do start hallucinating. Which I'm assuming hearing your own voice ruminate on something is not hallucinating. But it's still very distressing. Or I get racing thoughts or times when it's like my brain doesn't know what to think about so it reverts back to the icky ones. I could be diagnosed bipolar or manic. I thought I was and sometimes still get scared that I'm doomed and I have developed these illnesses. That's when I start doubting myself and start asking questions on other sites. Hoping they will tell me I'm not. But you are right it causes me extreme anxiety and brings out symptoms when I get answers like that. So maybe I should stay off those sites. I told my mom to watch me lol. I think I have become too obsessed with my symptoms and withdrawal. It's hard not to though. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
shelbytrev Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Or going from feeling extreme anxiety to maybe feeling low or bla. I'm almost afraid to tell my psych or therapist. I don't want them telling me I'm bipolar now. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted March 28, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 28, 2016 Hi Shelby, Sounds like you need some help from "dear old" Dr Claire Weekes: Audio: How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes This might be helpful too: Audio: First Aid for Panic (4 minutes) * 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
Moderator brassmonkey Posted March 28, 2016 Moderator Share Posted March 28, 2016 Bipolar II is one of the most common misdiagnosis we get here. All the mood swings people go through on top of all the other weird feelings, trouble sleeping and jerking awake in the morning the doctors just don't understand what is going on. There's a very large note in the PDM telling doctors that any psych diagnosis is invalid if the person is currently taking meds, but they don't seem to have read it. Some very mild hallucinations are relatively common in WD. Phantom voices, music from no where, strange smells, seeing movement out of the corner of your eye have all been mentioned here. I had a phantom radio station that played swing music for a while. It was actually rather pleasant at bed time. The little dark shadowy things scurrying around the house took a little getting use to but are strangely comforting now. As I've come down in dose they have all faded away for the most part. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
shelbytrev Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 phantom voices or auditory hallucination ?? This is one of the things that made me feel as though I was losing it. When there is A lot of external stimuli. Noises, tv , dishwasher ... I sometimes think I hear a word , my brain computes it as a word or voice. But it sounds more like a whisper. It's very hard to describe and is much worse when my anxiety is high. Like today I spent too much time obsessing and I felt very depressed. I was sitting in my living room and my kids were being loud and the tv was on. I started feeling very anxious and was reading something on my phone. But i heard my name but from a sound. Then my brain keeps saying it over and over cause I freak out. And try to reassure myself I'm not hearing voices and hallucinating. But it kinda feels like a I'm hallucinating and scared the crap out of me. Another one was "hey". Very disturbing. Non the less I had a very bad day and the voice thing topped it off. Is this a normal withdrawal thing? Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted March 29, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 29, 2016 Hi Shelbytrev, I've already commented on this in Post #63 In this post under the heading WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS Hallucinations or other visual or auditory disturbances Sensitivity to noises or visual stimuli * 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
shelbytrev Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 I have been off Effexor for 5 months. I was on 37.5 on my last taper. If I reinstate do I just take a couple beads? Will that maybe help these terrible thoughts that keep entering my brain? I was sleeping so well and now had two nights of extreme panic and couldn't sleep. I need to see if this is caused by the drug. How many beads and what size of the beads should I take. My brain is so yuck I can't figure it out. I'm desperate now. I took a Xanax and that only relaxed my body not my brain so much. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 29, 2016 Administrator Share Posted March 29, 2016 shelby, I moved your post here because we need more detail, and that would take the Reinstatement topic entirely off-track. And looking at your Intro topic, I see the answer to your question will be somewhat complicated. You last took Prozac on 1/8/16? Did the Prozac help your Effexor withdrawal symptoms? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
shelbytrev Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 I'm not sure. I was having a lot of thoughts about death and dying. So that's why I wanted to come off the Prozac. But I'm not sure if it was the Prozac or Effexor withdrawal. I have been off the Prozac since 1-18. I will have to correct that. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 29, 2016 Administrator Share Posted March 29, 2016 You might want to try 1mg Prozac (liquid would be best) and see if that helps. 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
shelbytrev Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 Maybe my symptoms letting up and then coming back in a different way is even more disturbing because they had let up a bit. Maybe causing me to become depressed and let more bad thoughts in. How do I get liquid Prozac ? Maybe I messed things up by starting to excercise too much. I thought it was helping. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
shelbytrev Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 I'm afraid from looking back at my old posts and the symptoms are the same but different and more extreme in some ways that I am now damaged from this drug or have developed a new illness like ocd. I just can't believe that Effexor pooping out on me could cause all of this. And still be getting worse 3 months out. I have an appt with my psych tomorrow. I will ask him about the liquid Prozac. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 29, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 29, 2016 You can make your own liquid prozac from tablets. If you're going to reinstate , you'll want to start with just 1 or 2 mg to see how you tolerate it. It may be enough to make a significant difference. To make a liquid solution , you dissolve a 20mg tablet in 20mls of water , and draw up the amount you want in a plastic syringe (get one 10mls and one 3mls). See this link for instructions http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2693-how-to-make-a-liquid-from-tablets-or-capsules/ 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
shelbytrev Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 So I should try reinstating Prozac instead of Effexor ? I was only on Prozac a month. I though the reason I was feeling this way was due to not having Effexor. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 29, 2016 Administrator Share Posted March 29, 2016 The question is whether the Prozac helped. If it did, it might be better if you went back on that. You'll have to make that call yourself. 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
shelbytrev Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 So I went to my psych. He said I'm not going schitzo or psychotic. But now I have hypochondriac symptoms and ocd symptoms. He's not pushing meds on me but he said it shouldn't be because of medication withdrawal. That it's been 5 months and I'm doing it to myself. And I need cbt. I wish I could find a psych that understands about coming off meds. But he did agree that usually you taper off slowly instead of like how my other doctor told me to do. He doesn't think it's cause I don't have the medication. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
shelbytrev Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 5 months off the Effexor Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 30, 2016 Administrator Share Posted March 30, 2016 Yes, many doctors will tell you exactly the same thing. They know very little about withdrawal syndrome. Back to the question: Did the Prozac lessen the Effexor withdrawal symptoms, or did it not? Do you have any Prozac left? Any doctor can prescribe psychiatric drugs, it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist. 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
shelbytrev Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Honestly I can not say if it helped. I was also taking klonopin and then Valium in small doses. And I didn't feel any relief until I took the Valium. So I can't be certain what was doing what. My psych said he wants me to try some calming supplements. I'm not sure at this point what to do. I have some tablet and capsule Prozac 10 mg left. He also wants me to get that gene test before I decide to go back on any meds. But I can't do that until I get an approval from my insurance and I just put the paper in today. What's funny is I told him I never had these problems or was diagnosed with anything other than panic attacks and anxiety before meds. His response was "hmmm". Should I just try the Prozac again? Maybe my withdrawal symptoms were too strong when I took it? Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 30, 2016 Administrator Share Posted March 30, 2016 Do you have any Effexor left? Why do you think you need a psychiatrist? 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
shelbytrev Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Yes I have some Effexor. I asked him if I should go back on that he also said I might have a bad reaction. I think because I doubt myself so much since coming off these meds that I seriously start believing I'm never going to heal. I keep going just in case. Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
shelbytrev Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Just the extended release Panic attacks-Prozac 20mg 4 years Effexor 75mg approx 9 years Effexor to Zoloft 25 mg approx almost 2 weeks Also used very low dose of Valium 1 mg sometimes 2x a day for anxiety for a month during medication changes. Zoloft to Celexa 10 mg approx a week Celexa to Prozac 10 mg for approx 5 weeks Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 off everything Link to comment
btdt Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 So I described my symptoms on another site and one girl said it sounds like I have schitzoeffecfive disorder I'm hoping she's wrong. I don't think these people on other mental help sites take into consideration I just came off meds and never had these problems till that. But that site is just about mental illnesses not coming off meds. That makes me laugh out loud everybody is an expert these days school kids who use to fight over balls now talk about which disorder and drug the kid in the play ground has... this is the marketing making it all common... I come from a time before these drugs were common place and before anyone had any terms to describe "your" problem be it what this brainiack said or some other term... kids use ADD ADHD blah blah blah on and on... now there is a drug for everything under the sun and million terms to go with them... They have to have something for all these new drugs to treat don't they so they get together and make some **** up... the DSM has grown by leaps and bounds not so much because of great new discoveries in drugs or disorders they are making it up... what use to be shy is now social disorder..in my opinion that is making stuff up.... She doesn't know so don't worry about it... that is my other opinion... if I said you had a brain tumour you would say I was nuts and if you had any idea you did have a brain tumour you would want an MRI to see but there are not MRIs for all the things we now treat well not all of them at least... ok sorry rant done. 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
btdt Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Honestly I can not say if it helped. I was also taking klonopin and then Valium in small doses. And I didn't feel any relief until I took the Valium. So I can't be certain what was doing what. My psych said he wants me to try some calming supplements. I'm not sure at this point what to do. I have some tablet and capsule Prozac 10 mg left. He also wants me to get that gene test before I decide to go back on any meds. But I can't do that until I get an approval from my insurance and I just put the paper in today. What's funny is I told him I never had these problems or was diagnosed with anything other than panic attacks and anxiety before meds. His response was "hmmm". Should I just try the Prozac again? Maybe my withdrawal symptoms were too strong when I took it? Do some deep relaxation .. see if it helps keep in mind benzo are depressants so if you feel depressed that could be part of it look up drugs that cause depression on here but many people do use them in wd just know what your doing before you do it if you can much is unpredictable and sure it is nerve wracking but it is what it is and there is bound to be rough spots self care is about getting thru this and how to do it look there.. here is a video for you... think I will watch it too peace Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg As of 1-8-2016 nothing your history is odd...to me Weaned off Prozac 10-5-2.5 mg went off prozac in 2010 or tapered till Jan this year... guess it is a taper... right? As of 1-8-2016 nothing your 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
Mentor ang Posted April 1, 2016 Mentor Share Posted April 1, 2016 Hi shelby all your problems are due to the psych drugs. I went off effexor too fast, crashed and burnt. Luckily I managed to balance out on other psych drugs and zoloft, for a year, before trying again. I had no idea, no guidance, my psych didnt have a clue how to get people off the drugs, I no longer see a psychiatrist. I avoid doctors, just go and get my scripts............ I am sick to death of all the labels, and the going over my family history, and my feelings, while the drugs were doing all the damage anyway. You are a very strong person, effexor is very difficult to get off, withdrawals from this are awful....................... Consider reinstating, either of your previous drugs............ go by your instinct. If you cant choose, go for the prozac. Start low...................... Hugs 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
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