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Exercise ... Do more, do less, do nothing? What worked for you?


Razzle

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Yes, I know there are many topics here on exercise, but I'm feeling very enthusiastic and felt like starting a new topic.

 

After over two months of feeling downright rotten (forgot to take my meds once, and took them twice another time), I'm finding myself in a brand new window.  On Friday I was feeling so restless and awful that I decided to take a small bike ride out of simple desperation.  The first five minutes were a slog,  I barely had the energy to turn the petals.  I felt like my body was telling me to lay off, that exercise was not what it needed.  I've had these warnings in the past, and I' ve usually heeded them.  But as I pressed on I noticed that some of the fatigue fell away. After about ten minutes of riding it was no longer a total drag, and I returned to my apartment so as not to overdue it.  I took three more bike rides throughout the day, each no more than 15 minutes long.  Each trip was increasingly more satisfying, and during the intervals in between my most persistent symptoms disappeared!  I've been continuing this routine for the past few days, and I feel fantastic!  It's as if each burst of exercise purges the symptoms from my body.  Most noticably absent is that terrible brain/body fog, everything is much much clearer now, like a veil has been lifted.  

 

I woke up this morning with the usual symptoms: slight dread, fogginess, fatigue, head aches - and after a short vigorous bike ride the symptoms have all subsided.  Some symptoms persist, and I think that the exercise may stir things up a bit and cause some new combinations of symptoms.  But so far it's all infinitely preferable to the fog I've been lost in for the past few months.

 

This isn't completely unprecedented, I've had other windows like this one, and not all were caused by exercise.  But I think exercise has been a consistent part of all my better windows.  And I'm wondering now if when a window was opened by acupuncture or some shift in the withdrawal process, if it wasn't really the increased exercise I was able to do that kept it open.  

 

I know many of us struggle with exercise, and that in withdrawal there are periods where it doesn't seem to be very helpful.  But I also think that the idleness withdrawal forces us into can overextend itself and become toxic.  I think it's possible that when we do exercise we can mistake our body's early resistance for signs that we're injuring ourselves, when this isn't the case at all.  

 

I guess what I really want to do is encourage the long term sufferers here to try exerting themselves every now and then, even if it hurts initially and feels like a setback.  It might be exactly what's needed at certain times.  For me, the recommended walks in nature have not been sufficient to clear my symptoms, and long walks often seem to make me feel worse.  More vigorous exercise seems to have a qualitatively different effect, it seems to give my system a kind of jolt, similar to acupuncture treatments.  In other words, it seems to have a destabilizing effect, and while that words is somewhat maligned here (and understandably so), I'm convinced that some of the stability we achieve in withdrawal is unhealthy and should be disrupted.  

 

Just some more anecdotal stuff for the archives, I suppose.  Has anyone else had similar experiences?  Are there perhaps places where we get "stuck", and where some form of disruption is needed?  

 

Wishing big open sun-filled windows for all.  

3 Years 150 mgs Effexor

2 month taper down to zero

3 terrible weeks at zero

Back up to 75 mgs

2 months at 75

6 or so months back to regular dose of 150 - was able to restabilize fine.

3 month taper back to zero

1 HORRENDOUS week at zero

2 days back up to 37.5

3 days back up to 75

One week at 150 - unable to stabilize.

Back down to 75 mgs

At 75 mgs (half original dose) and suffering withdrawal symptoms since October 2012.

 

"It is a radical cure for all pessimism to become ill, to remain ill for a good while, and then grow well for a still longer period." - Nietzsche

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this is very interesting. i definitely want to take my bike for a spin now!

 

i've had a similar break of symptoms before. i was "stuck" in a bad wave about 2 months ago of very high anxiety, fears, ocd symptoms and tearfulness. i went to my cranial chiropractor who also has a few other specialities under his belt, one of them being neuro-emotional technique (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro_Emotional_Technique). he asked me a few questions about my childhood and started to drum his fists on certain areas on my back. i also was in tears because of the emotions from the questions, and i also had an adjustment done that session, too. while i was paying, i felt a break of symptoms and started to feel the high anxiety shift to depression, but felt so calm. i felt low for a few hours, the familiar odd withdrawal depression, but by afternoon i felt "normal" again and stayed in a window for a few days. i'm not sure what triggered the shift. he did it again 2 weeks later when i was in a smaller wave and i felt a tiny shift but nothing like that first one. the last time he did the NET i didn't feel much, but i think i was in a smaller wave again.  i am in a larger wave like the first again and i see him tuesday. i'm going to request he do some NET to see if there is a correlation. i'm still unsure if it was the adjustment, the release of crying/emotions, or the NET.

 

he believes emotions get caught in certain parts of the body and the drumming was trying to unstick it. i was very skeptical when he was doing it but i couldn't believe the relief. i'm still skeptical but after reading your exercise relief there may be some truth to unsticking the waves.

 

 

thanks for sharing!

on 37.5 - 50mg zoloft/sertraline for GAD from 3/1996 to 4/2013 (17 years) 

too fast taper from 1/13-4/13

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I was very active before my "crisis" hit in January 2013.

 

Something my therapist offered recently was the notion that after years of regular, vigorous exercise my body may have become accustomed to maintaining a certain level of endorphins and my subsequent (very) sedentary lifestyle (eseentially CTing endorphins) in itself might have been enough to cause a major depression.

 

I can certainly attest to having enjoyed not only a regular "runners high" most times I went for a good run or aerobics workout, but also a true freeing of the consciousness that allowed my brain to sort of "idle" blissfully - or, if I wanted to work on something more cognitive (i.e., a thesis chapter), thoughts and ideas would flow very easily.

 

I also recently came to an awareness that part of my positive self-image was that of a being an active, healthy, fit person. Admittedly some of that was caught up in the "image = self worth" baloney but, more telling for me was the discovery that I had always discounted my athletic achievements. Being able to actually own and celebrate them was going to be a part of my overall recovery.

 

I say "going to be," because I do seem to be in the camp of w/d survivors who suffer exercise intolerance. I had a pretty decent window a few weeks ago, added maybe three verrrry slow, easy jogs (more like a walk with occasional shuffle) into my regular walks and got hit by a wave shortly thereafter. I don't know for certain how much exercise played into the wave onset, but here I am.

 

That said, I am very intrigued by your post, Narcissus, and intuitively feel that you are on to something regarding a very real down side to the stagnation of some of the stability we achieve in withdrawal. I guess I'm early days yet into my w/d, so I must be patient - and I'm not about to give up on exercise (eventually) being a significant part of my recovery process.

 

As a side note, relative to the "disruption" notion, I think I read somewhere (could even have been here) that some people fight panic attacks by plunging their faces into ice cold water and holding there for a few long moments. I believe the idea being that the shock of the cold water sends the CNS into "survival" mode akin to what would happen if one were to fall into icy waters thereby hitting some sort of "reset" button, forcing the person into the here and now. Anecdotal, indeed, and I've never tried it (my panic attacks have been horrible, but perhaps I hate the idea of this "cure" even more?!) but for what it's worth...

 

Great post - and I wish you continued windows and enjoyable workouts!

04/2013 diagnoses: severe insomnia, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, agoraphobia. PTSD (my diagnosis)

Original scripts: 30 mg mirtazapine (Remeron) (1x day), 75 mg Bupropion HCL (Wellbutrin) (2x day), and 0.5 lorazepam (1x day or as needed)

05/05/14: Onset of acute Wellbutrin withdrawal symptoms after haphazard "taper" of 6-8 wks.

05/10/14: Joined this site.

05/11/14: Reinstated approx. 25 mg Wellbutrin (1x day)

05/14/14: Switched to 12.5 mg Wellbutrin (2x day)

06/28/14: Changed lorazepam dosing to .25 mg 2x a day - seems to be reducing anxiety flare-ups

07/28/14: Dosing Wellbutrin in a (home made) solution form 12.5 mg (2x day) 08/15/14: Remeron 28 25.2 22.7 20.5 18.5 16.7 15.1 13.6 mg (home made) solution

05/16/15: Have been dosing lorazepam at .5 mg in the morning, .25 mg in the afternoon, and .25 mg at bedtime. Anxiety has increased somewhat, possibly due to tolerance.

 

 

 

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I am so glad for you Narcissus!

The power of the human spirit!

 

So many anonymous heros in this place... :)

 

Hugs, A.

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/d
Protracted 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.
 

 

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i myself have just started surfing again after a 5 year break, i surfed since i was a little kid before hand. I think the pills were actually a big part of why i stopped...anyway

The exercise for me has been very uplifting overall. Often when i come in from a surf i am on a high but all my sensory's are on opened up too, which can leave me sensitive too panicky emotion of anxiety or stress. But this seems to be fairly short lived and the more i surf the less this feeling overtakes me. I think this is for two reasons. one - is because my brain is slowly becoming accustomed to it, and two, because the regular exercise is making me feel a little better about my health and well being in general.

I still feel terrible some days and just want to stay in bed, but if i can make myself go for a surf i feel better (not amazing....well sometimes) but better, it takes my attention away from it. And then i usually feel at least slightly better when i come in. I usually try and have a meditate straight after i come in to calm down my mind a bit as well. The exercise seems to make it go a million miles per hour which is why i guess it becomes so sensitive to emotions.

10 years on various anti-depressants

5 years Effexor xr

tappered of 150mg in 6 months

nothing for two weeks

Reinstated 15 beads for 50 days

Tappered off then clean 2-3months

gradually went back up to 13 mg 3 years

bridged fluoxetine 10mg

2 week tapper

1 year clean

reinstated 5ml dispersed fluroxatine for 6months

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

It's odd how things turn out sometimes. After a lovely window last week I crashed and felt really ill for a few days. 

Yesterday was the worst and almost fainted a couple of times. Today I felt a bit better but still rough, and all over

the place. No sleep last night and couldn't concentrate on anything. Kept bumping into things and just wanted to

sleep. I decided I was not going to spend another day inside on the sofa but wasn't up to driving so too the bus 

for the short trip into town. I took out my bus fare and put it in my pocket to save time getting on. 

 

In the shop I went to pay and I'd left my bag at home!  :o . I had no choice but to walk home  :o . It took  a long time

and I took it very slowly. There are benches along the route and I sat on each one for a few minutes.  I saw things

I never noticed before, walked through the avenue of trees that hang right over the road. Saw a little babbling brook

and some cattle behind the trees.  It was amazing to smell the trees and I arrived home very very sore but exhiliarated!

Straight into a magnesium bath and felt energised enough to sort some things out while waiting for the bath to run.

I feel much better in my head for that walk. I will pay for it tomorrow and be in a lot of pain but who cares when I had a

clear head for a while and have lovely photos on my phone! 

I thought of Narcissus and this thread as I was wending my way home.  And all because I didn't feel well enough to drive! 

**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    :D 

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

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Sounds like a nice walk you ended up taking, mammaP, even if you ended up sore for it.

 

The window that opened up with the bike riding closed after three days, and now exercise seems either to do nothing or to cause a flare-up of symptoms. I should know by now that there aren't any magic bullets. I really worry that the lack of exercise is harmful, but on the other hand it seems to exacerbate things much of the time. I just don't know.

3 Years 150 mgs Effexor

2 month taper down to zero

3 terrible weeks at zero

Back up to 75 mgs

2 months at 75

6 or so months back to regular dose of 150 - was able to restabilize fine.

3 month taper back to zero

1 HORRENDOUS week at zero

2 days back up to 37.5

3 days back up to 75

One week at 150 - unable to stabilize.

Back down to 75 mgs

At 75 mgs (half original dose) and suffering withdrawal symptoms since October 2012.

 

"It is a radical cure for all pessimism to become ill, to remain ill for a good while, and then grow well for a still longer period." - Nietzsche

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The window that opened up with the bike riding closed after three days, and now exercise seems either to do nothing or to cause a flare-up of symptoms. I should know by now that there aren't any magic bullets. I really worry that the lack of exercise is harmful, but on the other hand it seems to exacerbate things much of the time. I just don't know.

 

same here. I LOVE to excersise. but I really can't do it most of the time. which leaves me sad and also, my body is not used to that lack of excersise. 

in 2002- 0,5 tablet cipramil for half a year, ended it uneventfully. in 2006 - citalopram for half a year, ended in horrific state, ditched the drugs CT. 2007-2008 not feeling well but drug free. in 2008 prozac 20mg + quetiapine 25mg. 2009 tried to stop, ended up in hole after couple of months, started zoloft. 2009-2011 zoloft 50mg. went to 25mg in 2011 summer, it resulted in half a year horrible suffering. reinstated, changed drugs, nothing happened. by 2012 beginning suddenly felt great and CT meds. after 4 months came suddenly most horrible human suffering that's possible. was started on prozac and questiapine. started tapering slowly, GFCF diet and Hardy Nutritionals vitamins in 2013 summer. 

current medications: 1) fluoxetine and quetiapine since Aug 2012; 2) Daily Essential Nutrients by Hardy Nutritionals 7 capsules / since May 2013 + omega3; 3) Gluten-free-casein-free diet since june 2013

Started withdrawing slowly since april 2013. Mostly around 10% cuts. 

April'13 - March'14: fluoxetine 40mg -> 19,5mg; quetiapine 50mg -> 40mg
April'14-March'15: fluoxetine 19,5mg -> 14,4mg; quetiapine 40mg -> 22mg

April'15-March'16: fluoxetine 14,4mg -> 7,4mg; quetiapine 22mg -> 15mg

April'16-March'17: fluoxetine 7,4mg -> 5,0mg; quetiapine 15mg -> 7,25mg

April'17-March'18: fluoxetine 5,0mg -> 4,0mg; quetiapine 7,25mg -> 0 (as of 1st Feb 2018)!!!!

April´18-March´19: fluoxetine 4,0mg - > 2,3mg. Jumped off fluoxetine 1,4mg due to pregnancy in July 2019. Oct 2019 severe withdrawal syndrome started.

Took mistakenly a complex for hormonal support that included pregnenolone dec2019-april2020. Stopped it april 2020 and immediately severe akathisia started. Have had life threatening akathisia since, 100% disabled, suicidal, very hard to hold on. 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Yes, I know there are many topics here on exercise, but I'm feeling very enthusiastic and felt like starting a new topic.

 

The first five minutes were a slog,  I barely had the energy to turn the petals.  I felt like my body was telling me to lay off, that exercise was not what it needed.  I've had these warnings in the past, and I' ve usually heeded them.  But as I pressed on I noticed that some of the fatigue fell away. After about ten minutes of riding it was no longer a total drag, and I returned to my apartment so as not to overdue it.  I took three more bike rides throughout the day, each no more than 15 minutes long.  Each trip was increasingly more satisfying, and during the intervals in between my most persistent symptoms disappeared!  I've been continuing this routine for the past few days, and I feel fantastic!  It's as if each burst of exercise purges the symptoms from my body.  Most noticably absent is that terrible brain/body fog, everything is much much clearer now, like a veil has been lifted.  

 

 

I know many of us struggle with exercise, and that in withdrawal there are periods where it doesn't seem to be very helpful.  But I also think that the idleness withdrawal forces us into can overextend itself and become toxic.  I think it's possible that when we do exercise we can mistake our body's early resistance for signs that we're injuring ourselves, when this isn't the case at all.  

 

I guess what I really want to do is encourage the long term sufferers here to try exerting themselves every now and then, even if it hurts initially and feels like a setback.  It might be exactly what's needed at certain times.  For me, the recommended walks in nature have not been sufficient to clear my symptoms, and long walks often seem to make me feel worse.  More vigorous exercise seems to have a qualitatively different effect, it seems to give my system a kind of jolt, similar to acupuncture treatments.  In other words, it seems to have a destabilizing effect, and while that words is somewhat maligned here (and understandably so), I'm convinced that some of the stability we achieve in withdrawal is unhealthy and should be disrupted.  

 

Just some more anecdotal stuff for the archives, I suppose.  Has anyone else had similar experiences?  Are there perhaps places where we get "stuck", and where some form of disruption is needed?  

 

Wishing big open sun-filled windows for all.  

 

Dear Narcissus,

 

thank you so much for this great post which I've only noticed now. I've been wondering about how you are doing these days and am delighted to hear you have found a way to "cause" windows.

 

I couldn't agree more with what you wrote. That's exactly my experience. I constantly preach about walks in nature and then people tell me yes, we do walk but it only makes us feel worse. But there is a difference between walking to a crowded store or worse yet to a shopping mall which is a stress and a walk in nature.

 

The other important thing, as you point out, is that when I feel bad  I feel even more awful for the first 15 minutes of walking and think I won't be able to do it and that there is no use. I'm so glad that you confirm what has been my experience that that might be one ocassion when heeding to your body's advice is not a really good idea. Becasue I have also found out that if I disregard that urge to simply go back and go to bed, I suddenly feel exactly like you describe: like a veil has been lifted in my head: I feel calmer, I see things clearly and it lasts (for around 3 hours at least). Also I've noticed that depending on how restless and anxious I am, it may take me longer to feel that effect. But since I know it will come, I just go up until it happens. The only time I couldn't "walk away" my anxiety was when I CT the medication. reinstatement is still the only cure for that.  

 

Also, in the same way it matters how much Omega 3 or magnesium one is taking and what kind, it's not all the same how and where you walk. It seems that a very important component of my walks is that they are up the hill and that unveiling happens after I conquer some steeper sections when my heart rate has increased. I have exchange of steeper and more level sections and I think that's also what plays an important role in achieving the exact effect you are describing. 

Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2

2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013)

Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 
1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg.
2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg
went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days after
reinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours
28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr  2015 1 mg,  25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64  Xanax     9 month hold

24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26

Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic 

I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. 

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  • 2 months later...

Hi,

 

I have been trying to stabilize for past couple of months after doing too fast of a taper.

 

Just wondering if other people have still excersized during this time?

 

I really love to excersize and keep in shape, but last time I ran for 30 minutes, I had a headache for several days after (seemed to aggravate my CNS). I am wondering if it's not recommended to excersize while still feeling withdrawal symptoms and during stabilization period.

 

Let me know your experiences.

2010 started 10 mg celexa, 2011 went up to 20 mg

06/2014 started tapering (20 mg,10 mg alternate days)

19/09/2014 crashed at 10 mg

20/09/2014 updosed to 20 mg to try and stabilize- Never stabilized and CNS basically plummeted

August 31 2015- Started my 5% taper anyways

May 3 2016- At 14 mg the tapering caught up with me- Withdrawal included severe anxiety, feeling like im on speed, suicidal and homicidal ideation, akathesia, feeling like I was on heroin, memory loss, PGAD, feeling like I was on an acid

May 4 2016- Updosed to 15.5 mg to try and stabilize

​June 4- Started taking 2 mg 5 times a day which adds up to 10 mg because of akathesia when taking my full dose. Akathesia symtpoms smaller

July 27th- Dropped from 15.5 mg to 10 mg because could no longer tolerate taking drug- bad side effects mainly akathesia and emotional deadness.

​Oct 11- Improved a lot since May 4th after my crash. Withdrawal symptoms still left- DR/DP, emotional anasthesia, akathesia, tingling in head, feeling like my body and face disappears, messed up sound interpretation, perception and difficulty reading social and emotional cues during DR/DP, apathy, inability to tell if I am in dream or reality, disturbed sleep. Started having few windows

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Did intensive excercise, lifted the depression but then internal tremors started for 3 days and general increase in anxiety. Maybe trying to find the right intensity is the key. Swimming, I found good still getting workout but it doesn't feel so jarring.

2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare!

 

On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect.

 

Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan.

 

 

Nightmare that could have been avoided!

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Yes, generally Alto recommends light exercise, like walking, that doesn't stimulate additional cortisol secretion. Inwould think if you're a good swimmer swimming would be good. For me, pretty stressful :)

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

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Rebounding (the mini trampoline) is a good immune and lymph exercise tool. Since I can't keep my balance because of insomnia, I just hold on to a chair and just let my body bounce. It's a great source of oxygen distribution on a cellular level. I can't do more than 10 minutes, however. But that's just me and my case, you could probably benefit and do a lot more.

 

Light yoga also helps, especially poses for anxiety.

Current Meds:

Klonopin 1.9 mg (anxiety /insomnia) 10 years, began taper then stopped. Currently forced to drop to 1.5 mg.

Remeron 7.5 mg (insomnia, nausea, GI issues) stopped taper

Propylthiouracil 25 mg (for Graves')

 

Past Meds:

Lexapro 10 mg, CT 1.5 years ago without researching. Taken for 9 years.

Trazadone 300 mg (insomnia), lowered BP, suffered vasovagal syncope, a fall required surgery for dental trauma.

Propranolol, 10 mg, during hospitalization for hyperthyroidism, 3.5 weeks, then switched to Cartia for 3 weeks. Dr C/T both.

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Most of the time intense exercise is hard on people in withdrawal, maybe because it increases cortisol levels. Most people do best with some type of gentle exercise during this time, it seems to help as long as it's gentle and not pushing your limits. Walking is really good.  

 

You'll get stable enough that eventually you'll be able to work out hard again, although while tapering you may go through periods when you have to ramp it back for a while.

 

Listen to your body and it will tell you what it can handle. Usually people do best if they do get some kind of gentle exercise regularly.

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.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I find cycling to be incredibly helpful to my mental state. Admittedly I am tapering very, very slowly so I'm not in "withdrawal". However, I think even light exercise is great. As is eating a relatively healthy diet. A few treats now and then do good for the soul, but a diet of junk will only make you feel like junk.

Slowly coming off 150 mg venlafaxine a day after nine years on it. Removing a small amount of beads from a capsule each month. Then I stabilise and remove another small amount. Not as precise as the 10% method but so far so good.  Any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I recently found that my body reacted badly when I started running while I'm tapering down on lexapro.

Mind you I'm 43 years old so age and fitness may have something to do with it ;-).

It felt like I had strained my lung muscles.

My throat muscles still feel a bit tight a week after running.

I'll just have to get fit more slowly!

Cheers

Damien

Off all SSRIs as at November 2016.

 

Been on SSRIs (mainly Lexapro) for around 15 years.

failed attempts to go cold turkey before I got proper info on it.

Over last 2 years I've slowly gone from 20 mg Lexapro to 2.5 mg Lexapro.

on 25th Jan 2015 I've now moved to home made liquid Lexapro.

Plan is to drop roughly 0.2 mg per month over the next 1-2 years.  

25th Jan 2015 2.5 mg Lexapro liquid.

24th Mar 2016 1.0 mg lexapro (crushed tablet mixed and refilled into capsules)

Planned to be at 0.0 mg lexapro by about October 2016. 

I also take 50-100 mg modafinil per day, no short term plans of stopping/tapering modafinil but will re-evaluate after I'm off lexapro. 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I agree with everything said here thus far. In the very early stages of withdrawal, anything cardiovascular was far too activating for me. When I could, I would stretch and that was about it. Stretching feels good most of the time. As my nervous system began to heal, I found I could do more. I used to marathon pre-withdrawal. Now I find I have very little to no taste for sustained intense cardio. As of right now, I am trying to stabilize from a 10% cut made almost two weeks ago. I probably should have cut smaller as I am feeling light to moderate symptoms. That said, it is about 0350 hours and I will be at the gym by 0430. I find that strength training with moderate to heavy weights is useful. Whatever it releases in me biochemically truly helps my symptoms and influences the trajectory of my day. Further, my muscles are somewhat sore post-workout and my mind tends to focus on that "healthy" pain versus the symptoms.

I think Rhi's take-home of listen to your own body is probably most key.

Hang in there.

Dave

1996 - .5mg Ativan as needed, 7.5mg Remeron daily2008 - .5mg Xanax, Ativan discontinued, Remeron continued2012 - .5mg Xanax, .25mg Ativan 3x daily, Remeron continued2/2012 - Jumped from Remeron, continued .5mg Xanax .25mg Ativan 3x daily4/2012 - Began rapid taper of .5mg Xanax .25mg Ativan 3x daily6/2012 - Jumped from Xanax and Ativan, voluntary hospitalization followed7/2012 - 2nd voluntary hospitalization, reinstated Remeron, bumped to 30mg, also given risperidone.8/2012 - discontinued risperidone, tried gabapentin, dicontinued gabapentin, Remeron 30mg continued10/2012 to current - tapered Remeron 10% every 4 to 6 weeks (sometimes more time) using liquid compound12/2014 - 2mg Remeron 1/16/2015 - 1.9mg Remeron 8/1/2015 -1.6mg Remeron - 03/1/2016 - 1.5mg Remeron - 1/2/2017 1.3mg - 5/7/2017 1.2mg - 5/13/2017 - syringe size change - 6/8/2017 - 1.1mg - 7/10/2017 - 1mg - 9/1/2017 - 0.9mg - 10/22/2017 - 0.8mg - 11/22/2017 - 0.7mg - 2/2/2018 - 0.6mg - 3/13/2018 - new compound pharmacy - 5/20/2018 - 0.5mg - 8/31/2018 - 0.4mg - 11/16/2018 - 0.3mg - 12/24/2018 - 0.2mg - 4/1/2019 - 0.1mg - 5/1/2019 - .05mg - 0mg achieved 2019-06-15. 🤞

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've found that exercise is too strenuous right now while in withdrawal. Even walking to fast or for to long makes me sick for the next few days. I've be gaining weight from this and it's very frustrating because I've always been a person who was very into fitness so this is quite frustrating. I really hope more than anything i will be able to work out harder soon. I'm going crazy by not being able to be active. :/

I started out on zoloft 50 mg or 20mg (can't remember at that point) and was on it for a few months then decided I didn't want to take it because of the side effects so I cold turkey'd it and then was miserable and reinstated and all my symptoms went away and I felt normal. Stayed on it for a while tried lexapro 5mg for a month or two instead to see if I had less side effects. Then switched back to zoloft 20mg I think and weaned down to 6mg and jumped off too soon because it supposedly wasn't a "therapeutic dose" and was told it would be ok. Then I was going through withdrawal again so I reinstated again after about a month I switched to prozac because it's easier to wean off of supposedly. Weaned off over 9 month from 8mg Prozac. Then two months after stopping it on September 2, 2014. I went into withdrawal.

 

18 months off as of March 2, 2016

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I am going to our local gym 3 times a week. But I don't "enjoy" it as I used to when I was healthy. I just do it at the moment, because I think it might help me in the long run...I dont want to lose hope.

Cold turkeyed Paxil in May 2012  :ph34r:

 

Finally recovered / see success story :)

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I get dizzy with any sort of exercise. :(

I started out on zoloft 50 mg or 20mg (can't remember at that point) and was on it for a few months then decided I didn't want to take it because of the side effects so I cold turkey'd it and then was miserable and reinstated and all my symptoms went away and I felt normal. Stayed on it for a while tried lexapro 5mg for a month or two instead to see if I had less side effects. Then switched back to zoloft 20mg I think and weaned down to 6mg and jumped off too soon because it supposedly wasn't a "therapeutic dose" and was told it would be ok. Then I was going through withdrawal again so I reinstated again after about a month I switched to prozac because it's easier to wean off of supposedly. Weaned off over 9 month from 8mg Prozac. Then two months after stopping it on September 2, 2014. I went into withdrawal.

 

18 months off as of March 2, 2016

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You need to be wary of intense aerobic exercise imo in wdl the cns is impaired and exercise loads it and can set off an implosion.

In 2003 i got free of the drug for 2 months then was doing aerobic exercise and started to have a kind of panic attack...it scared me so i ran back to the doc thinking there was something wrong with me ...no questions asked was put straight back onto paxil ....$%^& it.! And the rest as they say is another 8 yrs of drug addicted history. I was just so clueless and ignorant.

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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Please note this is NOT exercise for people in withdrawal!

 

http://kuwaitmood.com/exercise-mood-part-iii-from-science-to-action/

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

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I believe that it was exercise that actually stopped me achieving my complete withdrawel I was an addictive keep fit fanatic I stopped about 4 years ago and rested my body and my brain and thank God I've been off every thing for 7 months I actually thought I was looking after myself with all that exercise I found out that I was actually hurting my self.i never listened to my body an of coarse common sense was out of the question

I was originally on 350 mils doxepin started in1975 through the years I tapered down to 100 mils

I stayed on this dose for many years

I have now been off for 7 months ago

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

topics merged

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

 

 

 

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Hello all,

 

I have difficulty managing the amount of exercise my body can take. I have very intense fatigue, and it seems worse during the winter, the temperature has been very cold here this year, so I figured it doesn't help. In the periods like now I sleep a lot, not very restorative sleep, a lot of weird dreams, but I sleep many hours, compared to the periods where I am more "on the edge" and irritable. During the summer I can do a little bit of running (very little, alternating with walking), but it feels good. I don't run during winter, so I figured I would take a zumba class once a week for cardio and regain a bit of fitness... My first class was yesterday, wasn't easy but I paced myself, and I liked it. BUT it has affected my sleep last night and today I have a lot more irritability and feel like everything is the end of the world... I so much hate that.

 

To those of you who try to keep a minimum of exercise during WD, do you think I should stop the zumba classes? Or maybe my body will get used to it from week to week? I liked the fact that I was doing an activity for myself that I liked, but I don't want to interfere with my healing... Thanks for any thoughts!

2000-2001: Effexor              2005-2012: Celexa, Zoloft, Effexor, desipramin, Wellbutrin, mirtazepin, Lamictal, Remeron, Abilify, nortriptylin, Cipralex, Cymbalta, and others I don't remember. Really bad side effects to all.
Sept-Nov 2012: Paxil 20mg, Wellbutrin 100mg, Imovane 5mg      Nov 2012: Paxil 20mg --> 10mg
Dec 2012: Paxil 10mg-->0; 1 week later: HUGE WD symptoms. Started to get informed on the internet and back to 10mg Paxil.
Dec 2012-Jan 2013: Paxil 10mg, Wellbutrin 100mg, Imovane 2.5mg        End Jan 2013: P 9mg, W 100mg, I 2.0mg
Feb 2013: P 8mg, W 100mg, I 1.5mg      April 2013: P 7mg, W 100mg, I 1.25mg       May 2013: P 7mg, W 90mg, I 1mg    

June 2013: P 7mg, W 80mg, I 0mg       July 1/2013: P 7, W 70     July 22/2013: P 7, W 60             Aug 2013: P 7, W 50       Sept 2013: P 6.1, W 50     Oct 2013: P up to 6.3, W 50     Nov 2013: P 6.2 to 5.9, W 50      Dec 2013: P 5.9, W 40      Jan 2014: P 5.3, W40        Feb 2014: P 5.3, W 30      March-April 2014: P 5.3, W 26    May 2014: P 5.3, W 20        June 2014: P 5.3 W 15     July 2014:  P 5.3, W 14       Aug 2014: P 5.3, W up to 15     Sept 2014: P 5.3, W 14    Oct 2014: P 4.8, W 14      Nov 2014: P 4.3, W 14     Dec 2014-Jan 2015: P 3.9, W 14     Feb 2015: P 3.9, W 12    March 2015: P 3.6, W 12   April-May 2015: P 3.3, W 12    June 2015: P 3.3, W 10    July 2015: P 3.3, W 8   Aug-Sept 2015: P 3.3, W 6   Oct 2015: P 3.0, W 6   Nov 2015: P 2.7, W 6   Dec 2015: P 2.4, W 6   Jan-Feb 2016: P 2.4, W 5  March 2016: P 2.2, W 5   April 2016: P 2.2, W 4   May-June 2016: P 2.2, W 3  July 2016: P 2.2, W 2  Aug 2016: P 2.2, W 1  Sept 2016: P 2.2, W 0!!  Oct 2016: P 2.0   Nov 2016-Jan 2017: P 1.8  Feb-Mar 2017: P 1.9  April-May 2017: P 1.8   June 2017: P 1.6 July-Dec 2017: P 1.5  Jan-April 2018: P 1.6

Others: Cytomel 25mcg (thyroid), vit. C, vit D, Omega-3 fish oil, Magnesium bisglycinate , Melatonin 1mg, 81mg Aspirin, Milk peptides, L-theanine, Valericalm tincture mix, scullcap tincture, Suan Zao Ren (jujube seeds)

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Athena, I think you should keep going, especially because your enjoyed it.  Maybe just pace yourself a little more until you get used to it, and I think eventually you will get used to it.  It may also have have been overstimulating because it was a new experience, next week it wont be as new.

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

 

 

 

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Thank you very much Petu for your input.

 

I dont' know yet what I will decide, I was too depressed today. Hopefully I'll have a clearer mind in the days to come.

2000-2001: Effexor              2005-2012: Celexa, Zoloft, Effexor, desipramin, Wellbutrin, mirtazepin, Lamictal, Remeron, Abilify, nortriptylin, Cipralex, Cymbalta, and others I don't remember. Really bad side effects to all.
Sept-Nov 2012: Paxil 20mg, Wellbutrin 100mg, Imovane 5mg      Nov 2012: Paxil 20mg --> 10mg
Dec 2012: Paxil 10mg-->0; 1 week later: HUGE WD symptoms. Started to get informed on the internet and back to 10mg Paxil.
Dec 2012-Jan 2013: Paxil 10mg, Wellbutrin 100mg, Imovane 2.5mg        End Jan 2013: P 9mg, W 100mg, I 2.0mg
Feb 2013: P 8mg, W 100mg, I 1.5mg      April 2013: P 7mg, W 100mg, I 1.25mg       May 2013: P 7mg, W 90mg, I 1mg    

June 2013: P 7mg, W 80mg, I 0mg       July 1/2013: P 7, W 70     July 22/2013: P 7, W 60             Aug 2013: P 7, W 50       Sept 2013: P 6.1, W 50     Oct 2013: P up to 6.3, W 50     Nov 2013: P 6.2 to 5.9, W 50      Dec 2013: P 5.9, W 40      Jan 2014: P 5.3, W40        Feb 2014: P 5.3, W 30      March-April 2014: P 5.3, W 26    May 2014: P 5.3, W 20        June 2014: P 5.3 W 15     July 2014:  P 5.3, W 14       Aug 2014: P 5.3, W up to 15     Sept 2014: P 5.3, W 14    Oct 2014: P 4.8, W 14      Nov 2014: P 4.3, W 14     Dec 2014-Jan 2015: P 3.9, W 14     Feb 2015: P 3.9, W 12    March 2015: P 3.6, W 12   April-May 2015: P 3.3, W 12    June 2015: P 3.3, W 10    July 2015: P 3.3, W 8   Aug-Sept 2015: P 3.3, W 6   Oct 2015: P 3.0, W 6   Nov 2015: P 2.7, W 6   Dec 2015: P 2.4, W 6   Jan-Feb 2016: P 2.4, W 5  March 2016: P 2.2, W 5   April 2016: P 2.2, W 4   May-June 2016: P 2.2, W 3  July 2016: P 2.2, W 2  Aug 2016: P 2.2, W 1  Sept 2016: P 2.2, W 0!!  Oct 2016: P 2.0   Nov 2016-Jan 2017: P 1.8  Feb-Mar 2017: P 1.9  April-May 2017: P 1.8   June 2017: P 1.6 July-Dec 2017: P 1.5  Jan-April 2018: P 1.6

Others: Cytomel 25mcg (thyroid), vit. C, vit D, Omega-3 fish oil, Magnesium bisglycinate , Melatonin 1mg, 81mg Aspirin, Milk peptides, L-theanine, Valericalm tincture mix, scullcap tincture, Suan Zao Ren (jujube seeds)

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This is a big problem for me too. You hear so much about how exercise is vital for health and yet doing it can intensify WD symptoms.

I have dogs too. They re 15 years old so fortunately not champing at the bit though they like a walk. The last two evenings I have been for brisk 30 minute walks. I noticed some more fatigue during the day yesterday but last night my cortisol symptoms intensified ( I know my pattern ) . This morning I am very anxious and have that weird fatigue that's not tiredness it feels like there s no charge in the battery. My muscles are bunching up.

I am going to take more rest today and not walk outside. Am going to try two walks a week spaced to see if I can get away with that. Try that for a month or so and if I get away with it introduce a third. Crazy crazy crazy

Paxil 10mg 21/2 years to June 2012 after a 2 month taper

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi all,

 

My nervous system seems be sensitive to exercise and I was wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences. Whenever I do anything physically active...walk, run, bike...I start to become extremely itchy. It starts in my ankles or feet and works its way up. I then start to feel extremely stressed out...it's like the cortisol starts pumping out like crazy. It's horrible...I can't even walk around the block. I've tried lighter forms of exercise like riding a recumbent exercise bike and this still happens. If I do ride the bike for a 30 minute workout I feel irritable for several hours after. The sensitivity seemed to get worse when I started taking a multi-vitamin so I stopped taking the multi-vitamin but I felt really fatigued and sluggish so I am taking it again. I just miss being able to MOVE without all of these complications. Before withdrawal, running really helped my anxiety but now it seems to do the opposite. Any comments, experiences or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Intermittent Klonopin use February, 2014 to September, 2015

- Off of SSRIs completely since April, 2012 

- Had horrible side effects from Celexa (constant feelings of terror, insomnia) so stopped taking it after 6 weeks

- Started 20 mg of Celexa in February 2012

- Began to taper off of Zoloft in May, 2011, off Zoloft completely September, 2011

- Increased Zoloft to 75 mg October, 2010 and decreased back to 50 mg in February, 2011

- June 2009- Went on 50 mg of Zoloft

- October, 2007 - July, 2008- Celexa 20 mgs (tapered off fairly quickly)

- 2006-2007- On Effoxor for about 8 months- switched to Prozac and cold turkeyed off

- 2005- Paxil and Lamictal for a few months but stopped taking because it didn't work

- 2004- Paxil for a few months but quit taking because of increased feelings of depression

 

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  • Member

Celeste,

 

This post might get more comments if it was in your own intro topic as it is a quite specific detailing of how exercising is affecting 'you'.

 

Most people find that when they are suffering in withdrawal syndrome, any amount of activity beyond a gentle walk for 1/2 every day makes them 'feel bad' in any number of ways.

 

Sometimes it is a lot better to search for existing topics and read through them to see if your issue has already been covered. A search of google using 'survivingantidepressants.org exercise' brought up several results including:

 

Exercise! (And resistance to it) - Surviving Antidepressants

 

Too much exercise? - Surviving Antidepressants

 

Plus various intro topics where the posters discussed their reactions to exercise:

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=survivingantidepressants.org+exercise&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

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.

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I find walking for half an hour usually makes me feel good at the time then kicks off an exacerbation of symptoms. Its frustrating. Walking around the house for half an hour or much longer doing housework etc doesn't have the same effect as a straight half hour walk on treadmill or outside. Only difference I can think of is I go a bit faster on the walks

Paxil 10mg 21/2 years to June 2012 after a 2 month taper

 

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cymbaltawithdrawal- Thank you for the response! I am still learning the protocols here and will do that in future posts.


 


Cressida- I totally know what you mean! It's the same for me...I wait tables at a pretty busy restaurant where I'm walking around for 4-5 miles per day and it doesn't aggravate my symptoms like taking a short walk does. I also noticed walking doesn't aggravate my symptoms when I'm on a trip or a vacation. I think there is definitely some kind of stress component involved. I am also looking into a low histamine diet. From what I've read, people that are intolerant to histamine get a ton of symptoms when consuming high histamine foods...the main one being inflammation in the body. It seems that there at least a few people dealing with this on this site...and it came up after withdrawal.   


Intermittent Klonopin use February, 2014 to September, 2015

- Off of SSRIs completely since April, 2012 

- Had horrible side effects from Celexa (constant feelings of terror, insomnia) so stopped taking it after 6 weeks

- Started 20 mg of Celexa in February 2012

- Began to taper off of Zoloft in May, 2011, off Zoloft completely September, 2011

- Increased Zoloft to 75 mg October, 2010 and decreased back to 50 mg in February, 2011

- June 2009- Went on 50 mg of Zoloft

- October, 2007 - July, 2008- Celexa 20 mgs (tapered off fairly quickly)

- 2006-2007- On Effoxor for about 8 months- switched to Prozac and cold turkeyed off

- 2005- Paxil and Lamictal for a few months but stopped taking because it didn't work

- 2004- Paxil for a few months but quit taking because of increased feelings of depression

 

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I responded in another thread about this issue but I can't recall which one. I'll look for it as well as a journal article. In the meantime the readers digest version is: exercise is stress on the body and the body reacts by producing cortisol. The more intense the exercise the more cortisol produced.

 

Higher intensity exercise worked well in decreasing my anxiety and other symptoms until I fell into a particularly harsh wave, if you will. At that point the opposit became true until I stabilized again at which point it again became a stress reliever.

 

Yoga is a good alternative. Restorative yoga would be a good option, as would any gent all or basic yoga class.

1988-2012: Prozac @ 60mg (with a few stops and starts)

Fall 2012: Returned to 40mg after discontinuing and horrid withdrawal 

Fall 2013: 40mg Fluoxetine, added 150mg Wellbutrin to treat fatigue 

Winter 2014: Attempting to taper both (too fast)

April 2014: 9mg Fluoxetine + 37.5 Wellbutrin 

Summer 2014: 8 mg Fluoxetine + 0 Wellbutrin (way too fast a drop)

Late summer/Early Fall 2014: Debilitating Withdrawal symptoms 

Fall 2014 - Wellbutrin successfully kicked to the curb but…

Oct- Dec 2014: Panicked reinstatement of Fluoxetine ->30mg - held for 5yrs

Jan 2021: taper to 20mg Fluoxetine  then tapering by 1mg every 2-3 months

Fall 2022 - held at 10mg->December 2022: 9mg->Feb 2023: 8mg ->March 2023: brassmonkey slide begins: 7.8mg -> 7.6 -> 7.4->2 week hold (April)->7.2->7mg->6.8->2 week hold->6.6-> 1-month hold ->(June)-6.5->4-week hold-> (July)-6.4 (discontinued brassmonkey slide and slowed taper)-> (Aug)-6.2->(Sept)-6.0->(Oct)-5.9->(Nov)-5.8->(Dec)-5.7->wave!->(Jan)-5.8->(Feb)-6mg and holding.

 

My 2014 withdrawal experience: https://rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/

 

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Similar topics merged.

 

My ability to do intense exercise or even moderate exercise disappeared and now I have to be careful what I attempt.  On some days I can do more and get no bad reaction, but on other days, trying to do a little housework or a 15 minute walk will have me feeling dizzy and unwell.

 

I used to be fit, active with good muscle strength.  I used to do back to back gym classes and I could do heavy yard work for hours without a break, even on hot days.  But now my limit is a 30 minute walk on a good day or 15 minutes with a light weight weed trimmer.  What has shocked me is how fast my fitness has deteriorated.  I feel like I went from being a healthy 40 something to a very sick 90 something.

 

Agoraphobia, anhedonia, demotivation and difficulties with showering have all added to my problems with exercise, but as everything continues to improve, slowly, I expect to be able to slowly increase my exercise capacity again.

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

 

 

 

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I responded in another thread about this issue but I can't recall which one. I'll look for it as well as a journal article. In the meantime the readers digest version is: exercise is stress on the body and the body reacts by producing cortisol. The more intense the exercise the more cortisol produced.

 

Higher intensity exercise worked well in decreasing my anxiety and other symptoms until I fell into a particularly harsh wave, if you will. At that point the opposit became true until I stabilized again at which point it again became a stress reliever.

 

Yoga is a good alternative. Restorative yoga would be a good option, as would any gent all or basic yoga class.

That is very useful thank you. It helps me to understand what is a trigger and how it works. Makes sense.

Paxil 10mg 21/2 years to June 2012 after a 2 month taper

 

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for me exercise is a very good anxiolytic.  Unfortunately i can't spend all day exercising, but the benefits of getting my heart rate up and puffing for 30mins last me a good few hours

Started in 2000 - On 150mg most of the time, (but up to 225mg at highest dose for 6 months in the beginning)
Reduced off easily first time - but got depressed (not too much anxiety) 6 months later
Back on effexor for another 9 months.
Reduced off again with no immediate w/d - suddenly got depressed and anxious ++ again 3 or 4 months later.
Back on effexor - this time for 3 years
Reduced off over a month - 6 weeks later terrible anxiety - back on.
Rinse and repeat 4 more times - each time the period before the anxiety comes back got shorter and shorter
Jan - July 2012 75mg down to 37.5mg;, 8/3/12 - 35mg. 8/25/12 - 32mg. 9/11- 28mg, 10/2 - 25mg, 10/29 - 22mg, 11/19 - 19.8mg; 12/11 - 17m,
1/1- 15.5mg; 1/22 -14mg, 2/7 14.9mg, 2/18 - 17.8mg - crashed big time: back to 75mg where i sat for 2 years....

4th  March 2015 - 67.5mg;   31st March - 60mg;  24th April - 53mg; 13th May - 48mg; 26th May - 45mg;  9th June - 41mg; 1 July- 37.5mg; 20 July - 34mg; 11 August - 31mg; 1st Sept - 28mg;  1st Dec - 25.8mg;  28th Dec - 23.2mg; 23rd Jan-21.9mg; Feb 7th- 21mg; March 1st - 20.1mg, March 30th - 18mg

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