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danhyr: Paxil to Effexor.


danhyr

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Hi,

My name is Dan.. here is my story and a question or 2.

 

I was put on 20mg of Paxil we call it Seroxat here way back in 2001 due to panic/anxiety and i was being given Valium short term and this seem the thing to do. it worked and i got my life back and it was grand everything was great.. I thought i could get on with my life now and everything would be ok.. how wrong was i.

 

I decided after 10 years and talking to my Dr would be a good time to come off them. My life was good. I had a full time job. Everything was going well.. i managed to taper down to about 8mg, when i had a re emergence of panic/anxiety/depression/insomnia..

 

The Dr's i saw in their wisdom decided i should go straight back to 20mg.. this i believe was the wrong thing to do as i went into a deep depression. So they said OK lets just take 40mg.. which near on killed me sent me so down but after 8 weeks or so i balance out and everything seemed fine.. but it wasn't the same..i was still having panic attacks and depression episodes.

 

So after multiple depression episodes alot of time off work..about May 2013 i decided to go back to the Dr who sent me to see a consultant psychiatrist.. i decided to go private.. as i was really down and nothing was happening with the NHS. So i was sent to the priory.. he decided to put me on reboxetine with my paxil the side effects of these completely overwhelmed me.. i couldn't stand up without fainting so after a month i was taken off reboxitine and put on Olanzapine 5mg.

 

During thie next 6 months i went on a lot of CBT, Mindfulness, Group Therapy.

 

Time goes on nothing is right anymore been off work 6 months.. was supposed to go back in the Jan2014 but couldnt face it.. so cross taper from Paroxetine - Effexor started 40mg to 150mg.  I went into a depression and near on tried to killed myself.

 

After a few months around May 2014 and increase in meds to 300mg effexor he added 30mg Mirtazapine and took me off the 5mg Olanzapine.

 

June 2014 my work offered me a redundacy pacakge i took it.. i didn't really want the stress of it anymore so i lost the job i had for the last 10 years.

 

Nov 2014 i still dont feel right but i stuck at it and by the new year i feel alot better although i have no idea what the hell im going to do.. so i stayed off looking for work. Skip forward a few months..

 

Apr 2015 Start volunteering in a charity shop and now everything seems like its back to normal.

Skip to now and the charity shop i work for has offered me paid work as a driver.. so thats great.. i feel so much better. I do have the Odd panic moment but i have had so much therapy and i know how to deal with them better.

 

I would like to say to everyone, stick with it. Things do get better..

 

I have a couple of questions about my meds..my GP's dont seem to have any clue.

 

When i was on Paxil i used to sleep forever 12-16 hours sometimes.. now i cannot sleep for more than 8 hours period. I mean if i go to bed at 8pm i wake at 4am.. its like my body wakes me up now and i dont sleep forever.. i wonder if anyone has experienced this?

 

Ringing in my ears.. i have constant ringing in my ears.. went to GP but they didn't seem to bothered about it and the subject quickly changed to mood and blood pressure. Anyone else have ringing in there ears on effexor/mirtazaphine?

 

Anyway all the best.. Merry Christmas.

Dan

 

 

since 1990 400mg of Carbamazaphine for epilipsy.

2001 20mg of Paxil for Panic/depression

2011 Weaned down to 8mg of Paxil slowly.. then remergence of panic/anxiety/depression. Immediately put back to 20mg

2011 20mg no longer doing anything put to 40mg.. completely destroyed me..

Aug 2013 Added reboxetine - Low Bloody Pressure

Late 2013 Remove reboxetine - Add Olanzapine 5mg

Early 2014 Cross Taper from Paxil 40mg to Effexor 300mg.

Mid 2014 Add 30mg Mirtazapine. Remove 5mg Olanzapine.

Jun 2014 -  Effexor 300mg, Mirtazapine 30mg, Carbamazpine 400mg.

 

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Dan , welcome to the site.    Glad to hear you're more stable at the moment , in spite of the ear-ringing.

 

Tinnitus (or ear-ringing sounds) is a common symptom of drug withdrawal and/or toxicity.

 

It's probably due to the ridiculously high doses you're taking , and the serious interaction between mirtazapine and 

effexor.

 

From drugs.com:

Major venlafaxine  mirtazapine

Applies to: Effexor (venlafaxine), mirtazapine

Using venlafaxine together with mirtazapine can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressureicon1.png, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred visionicon1.png, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases may result in coma and even death.

 

You may find the tinnitus and other symptoms you have decrease if you reduce your meds.

 

 

Hope this is helpful ,   Fresh

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Dan,

 

Welcome to SA.  Unfortunately your story is not an uncommon one.  From my reading on this site many people have had similar things happen to them.

 

It would seem that you went down to 8mg on your first med too quickly and you started getting withdrawal symptoms.  Doctors seem to see this is a reoccurance of your original problem (not recognising that it is actually withdrawal) and either up the dose and/or add other meds.  Unfortunately even doctors who taper don't realise that it needs to be done slowly.  This site recommends a 10% taper of the the last dose with a 4-6 week holding period to allow your brain to adjust to the change of dosage.

 

Could you please add the dates you started your current doses to your signature?  Thanks.  It helps to see it at a glance.

 

Fresh has just posted the drug interaction.  Thanks Fresh.

 

If you check out the links I added in this post, you will gain some valuable information on what happens and what to do about it.

 

Ask any questions you have in this topic and use it as a journal of your progress.

 

All the best, CC

* 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

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I honestly believe that all my problems all come down to one thing (anti depressants).. I wonder sometimes what it would be like to be drug free.. .. Whenever my dose was changed or new drug introduced i would head into a depression.. which lasted 6-8 weeks or so.. the switch from paxil to effexor being the worst i think.. 

 

I have read that i am on high doses but what do i do? I kind of feel settled for the first time in years or do i risk it and it goes horribly wrong again. maybe in 10 years time this will happen all over again who knows really.

Cheers

Dan

since 1990 400mg of Carbamazaphine for epilipsy.

2001 20mg of Paxil for Panic/depression

2011 Weaned down to 8mg of Paxil slowly.. then remergence of panic/anxiety/depression. Immediately put back to 20mg

2011 20mg no longer doing anything put to 40mg.. completely destroyed me..

Aug 2013 Added reboxetine - Low Bloody Pressure

Late 2013 Remove reboxetine - Add Olanzapine 5mg

Early 2014 Cross Taper from Paxil 40mg to Effexor 300mg.

Mid 2014 Add 30mg Mirtazapine. Remove 5mg Olanzapine.

Jun 2014 -  Effexor 300mg, Mirtazapine 30mg, Carbamazpine 400mg.

 

 

 

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Hi Dan,

Welcome to the forum, you will learn so much if you take a look around. The fact that you can get 8 hours of sleep consistently is fantastic! I used to sleep a lot with the drug I am on (very sedating) but this has changed as I got older. Now sleep is very unpredictable. You're probably getting a bit of a cortisol "bump" in the morning, but at least you are getting enough to function okay. As the other said, the tinnitus (ringing) is a very common symptom. I had it really bad during benzo dependence and withdrawal, now it is just a mild ringing. To be honest I pretty much ignore it. I wouldn't worry too much about it if it is bearable. Hope you can get the info here that you need to get weaned off these drugs safely!

Sarah

1975--first signs of depression

1981--started on imipramine (Tofranil) for IBS and depression

1983-1986--severe depression, rotated through several drugs, on MAOI for one year, eventually back to tricyclics

1986-1994--chronic low grade depression, on tricyclics

1994-96--severe depression, rotated through several drugs inc. Prozax, Effexor, etc..

1996-2013--chronic low grade depression, SAD, on amitryptiline usual dose 12.5-25mg

     flurazepam (Dalmane) as needed for insomnia

2013--developed temazepam (Restoril) dependance for 2 months, tapered off over 1 month

   started bio-identical progesterone 5 mg., depression has lifted completely to this day

March 2016--forced to c/t both amitryptiline and flurazepam, zolpidem not helpful

reinstated small dose (.5 mg) amitryptiline due to stomach issues and tapering w/titration

June 19th--jumped from amitryptiline--drug free!

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Dan,

Welcome and thanks for sharing your story, as others have mentioned, its a familiar tale around here. Its unfortunate we don't get the therapy, counseling and group support first, instead of being put on harmful drugs, which usually end up causing more problems in the long run.

 

I understand your concern, you are feeling well at the moment, so why risk setting yourself back by making changes. Here's what I think. You don't need to be on the drugs, you didn't need them in the first place, but now you do because your body and nervous system has adapted to them as being part of your normal environment.

 

All psychiatric drugs are toxic and eventually cause damage, leading to illness and deteriorating health long term. I'd highly recommend reading Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker.

 

If you started tapering off your drugs now, very slowly, one at a time, you will be doing what you can to lower your risk, while still maintaining your quality of life and functioning. Perhaps just make it a goal to reduce the dose for now. By tapering slowly, you can avoid withdrawal symptoms.

 

Have a look through these links to see if its something you might want to try:

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first? Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine)

 

If you decide you want to do this, you will get a lot of help and support here, however long it takes.

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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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Dan, 

 

I hope you enjoyed New Year's Eve! 

 

I just wanted to chime in since I am on the same combo as you, Effexor and Remeron.  And yes, I've had tinnitus, though it would come on suddenly, last a few minutes and then stop.  It would change tones sometimes.  I just thought it was something that everyone had happen now and again!  Or maybe it was changing pressure?  At any rate, I never correlated it, or many other odd things that I had going on, with the drugs. 

 

I've been on Effexor (or generic) for 12 years, and on other ADs for 8 years prior.  I also went up to a rather high dose, though my memory is foggy (another side effect) and I can't remember when I did what or how high I went.  I think it was 225 mg at one point.  I cut down on my own, didn't keep records, but I do remember having emotional crashes now and again, and having strange things happen that involved poor judgement as well as poor cognition and concentration, and forgetfulness.  I not once but twice forgot to put my car in park while it was running and then got out for some reason, only to have the car drive off!  First time it crashed into a tree, and the second time I managed to catch up to it and smash the brake pedal down with my hand since the door was still open!  That's just the tip of the iceberg!  Even today I locked my keys in the car when at the gas station to fill up, and don't even remember making the move to lock it!  It's really rather scary, the cognitive impairment!

 

Anyway, I remember getting down to 37.5 mg a year or so ago but then going back up because I felt so down.  Well, that was probably due to making a 50% cut!  Went back up to 75 mg for awhile, and then decided I'd had enough due to the years of sexual side effects and blunting, so did a rapid taper off, summer of 2014.  10 months of protracted WD left me thinking I was going insane with the extreme anxiety, insomnia, despondency, etc.  I ended up on Remeron because I couldn't sleep, eat or even take care of basic hygiene.  Remeron helped the sleep right off, and I felt a bit better, but before I knew it I went from 7.5 mg to 37.5 mg because it just kept failing.  At that dose, I was agoraphobic and apathetic, just couldn't get off the couch.  My p-doc then suggested restarting Effexor since I had "tolerated" it well in the past.  I'm assuming it was because I was in withdrawal from Effexor that the Remeron just couldn't work, but within an hour of taking that 37.5 mg dose, it was like a switch flipped.  I was lucky that reinstatement after 10 months worked.  I don't know if it had something to do with the combo of Effexor and Remeron; the p-doc said the two together worked better than each alone.

 

At any rate, shortly thereafter, I learned about protracted withdrawal and realized that was what had happened to me for all those months of craziness!  So, here I am on two drugs instead of one!!!  I now realize I had been in tolerance for quite some time as I can't think on any of the Effexor years as being GOOD.  And I'm sure I had withdrawal from dosage cuts mixed in as well.  I mourn the 20 years I spent medicated, wondering what they might have been like without the drugs.

 

I have had body zaps while on Effexor, maybe in conjunction with cuts, can't remember.  I also grind my teeth at night, something I've done for years, and I read somewhere that that is a side effect.  Never slept that well on Effexor.  Since I did the dosage reductions (50% cuts, likely) I have no recollection about what symptoms happened when, and whether they were side effects or withdrawal effects.  Whatever the case, the mirt has caused me to gain weight, so that is the first to go, at least to a point before focusing more on the Effexor taper.  I have been doing a 10% reduction of the  mirt without too much trouble, down to 15 mg now.  When I weigh out my dosages two weeks at a time, I might nudge the Effexor bead weight down 1 mg at a time (and that's gross weight, not actual ingredient weight).  I have mentally thrown the calendar away since thinking about how long this will take causes me distress!

 

So, I think that is what you can do, nudge your Effexor down beads at a time even less than 10% if you want to be extra gentle on yourself.  Everyone is different, but the paper on receptor occupancy with the graphs includes Effexor.  It shows that at the minimum effective dose of 37.5 mg, receptor occupancy is still at 80%, and no matter how high the dose, you max out at around 90%.  So, it should be fairly uneventful reducing until you get down to 37.5 mg.  Of course, there will always be the person to prove me wrong there!  

 

I wonder if there is an arms race of sorts, that as the dose goes higher, the body will always add enough receptors to maintain that 10% gap.  After all, we would die from serotonin syndrome if we couldn't resorb SOME of the serotonin!  I guess we'd also be making less so that there isn't too much around due to being blocked.  The science of it all intrigues me :-)

 

At any rate, you've come to the right place!

 

I hope 2016 treats you well!

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.

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Welcome danhyr.

 

Hi Dan,

Welcome and thanks for sharing your story, as others have mentioned, its a familiar tale around here. Its unfortunate we don't get the therapy, counseling and group support first, instead of being put on harmful drugs, which usually end up causing more problems in the long run.

 

I understand your concern, you are feeling well at the moment, so why risk setting yourself back by making changes. Here's what I think. You don't need to be on the drugs, you didn't need them in the first place, but now you do because your body and nervous system has adapted to them as being part of your normal environment.

 

All psychiatric drugs are toxic and eventually cause damage, leading to illness and deteriorating health long term. I'd highly recommend reading Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker.

 

If you started tapering off your drugs now, very slowly, one at a time, you will be doing what you can to lower your risk, while still maintaining your quality of life and functioning. Perhaps just make it a goal to reduce the dose for now. By tapering slowly, you can avoid withdrawal symptoms.

 

Have a look through these links to see if its something you might want to try:

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first? Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine)

 

If you decide you want to do this, you will get a lot of help and support here, however long it takes.

This.

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

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

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

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

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

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

Recovering paxil addict

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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Your story really touched my heart and i can relate ....

 

It appears you and i went on paxil at about the same time and we both wanted off at about the same time....then at 8 mgs our stories took  a different route.

 

taper down to about 8mg, when i had a re emergence of panic/anxiety/depression/insomnia..

 

This is where we now parted ways ....i felt (correctly) that this emergence of what you have called panic/anxiety/depression/insomnia was not me it was the drug. Likewise i believe for you to it was the drug withdrawal symptoms too [those are the only words we as lay people can use to describe it but those words are very incorrect a more accurate description is blunt force drug induced trauma to the brain...which ticks every box in the fraudulent DSM.

But you know this too...I honestly believe that all my problems all come down to one thing (anti depressants)..

 

So what i did was a very silly thing i decided things could not get worse so i jumped off at 5mg. I dont rec that to anyone. But my sig reveals how things unfolded.

I also refused anything from the med profession ...told them 'not to waste their time prescribing me their drugs i refuse them.'

I chose the road less travelled i chose to suffer.

 

Here's the thing like Petu i believe you dont need these drugs. Right now you are stable and that is a place of strength to start from. You may  also i believe be  in a state of medication spellbinding ....perhaps unable to see the fate that awaits long term.

 

Consider starting  a taper at even 5% and as the months go by you will have a functioning life and in time without even noticing it you will be free ...see Brassmonkeys drug sig. and what he is about to accomplish.

And no i believe you dont need the docs approval or even have to tell him what you are going to do. (Brass's doc thinks he is still on 20mg...yet he is now on 1mg)  Just use the doc to get the drug. Un-patient yourself and take control. Dont let the clueless doc fly the plane from the ground ..you are the one thats in it. You need it landed safely.

 

I also am coming to the conclusion that an ultra slow controlled taper protects/ or gives the best chance for avoiding long term/enduring neurological damage. (i wont go into details).

 

You can do this and you have a whole heap of people here to support you...daily!...what doc can do that? 

And i will be your biggest cheerleader if i made it to the other side, i know you can too.

 

 

I have read that i am on high doses but what do i do?

You taper slowly as rec here taking long holds if necessary and listening to your body

 

I kind of feel settled for the first time in years

This is a great place to start from ...please dont allow another  10 yrs to pass by...

The best time to sell the  house is when you dont need to sell the house.

 

or do i risk it and it goes horribly wrong again.

It wont if you take it real slow. Now you are informed. 

Some say knowledge is power but i say only applied knowlegde is power....you can do it.

 

Read this wonderful piece by Rhi

Brain remodeling
 

nz11

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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  • Moderator Emeritus

nz11, I love you!  What an awesome reply!  

 

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.

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Hi,

Thanks for the replies given me some things to think about and a fair few things to read..  I have recently(last 3 months) had my tablets changed so that they are like solid tablets, i have no idea how i would chop these down.. they are coated. Kind of like smarties if you know what they are.. I guess i can ask the Dr to have them changed i think.  

 

I feel certain things are not quite right.. i can hear my heart beating sometimes, the ringing in my ears, sometimes i get a lethargic feeling.. the weight gain.. I know that if i go speak to the Dr i will get are you not in a better place than you where before kinda thing.. the good out weighs the bad.. but i know things arent right.

 

I can relate with SquirrellyGirl's Forgetfullness.. people ask me what i had for dinner or what movie i watched last night and sometimes i cant recall, i struggle to remember. 

 

Anyhow thanks for the advice take care, happy new year,

 

Dan

since 1990 400mg of Carbamazaphine for epilipsy.

2001 20mg of Paxil for Panic/depression

2011 Weaned down to 8mg of Paxil slowly.. then remergence of panic/anxiety/depression. Immediately put back to 20mg

2011 20mg no longer doing anything put to 40mg.. completely destroyed me..

Aug 2013 Added reboxetine - Low Bloody Pressure

Late 2013 Remove reboxetine - Add Olanzapine 5mg

Early 2014 Cross Taper from Paxil 40mg to Effexor 300mg.

Mid 2014 Add 30mg Mirtazapine. Remove 5mg Olanzapine.

Jun 2014 -  Effexor 300mg, Mirtazapine 30mg, Carbamazpine 400mg.

 

 

 

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Danhyr sorry you are in this difficult position.

 

Are you referring to all the tablets or the effexor one

 

it may be best to confirm with the pharmacist exactly what kind of tablets you are on ...they  could be 'do not split' tablets.

 

nz11

SG u are too kind.

As you know i am always frank (In Fresno) and ernest (in chicago) !

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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  • 2 weeks later...

Saw my psychiatrist last week for the first time in a while and he wants me to bring my venlafaxine from 300mg down to 225mg.. Eventually he says he wants to bring me down to 150mg venlafaxine and eventually bring me off the mirtazapine.. i guess this is good news. I am currently taking 150mg in the morning and 150mg at night CR tablets.. he now wants me to take 225mg in the morning. im guessing this is too fast? or at high doses does it matter so much?.. well will find out i guess soon enough..

since 1990 400mg of Carbamazaphine for epilipsy.

2001 20mg of Paxil for Panic/depression

2011 Weaned down to 8mg of Paxil slowly.. then remergence of panic/anxiety/depression. Immediately put back to 20mg

2011 20mg no longer doing anything put to 40mg.. completely destroyed me..

Aug 2013 Added reboxetine - Low Bloody Pressure

Late 2013 Remove reboxetine - Add Olanzapine 5mg

Early 2014 Cross Taper from Paxil 40mg to Effexor 300mg.

Mid 2014 Add 30mg Mirtazapine. Remove 5mg Olanzapine.

Jun 2014 -  Effexor 300mg, Mirtazapine 30mg, Carbamazpine 400mg.

 

 

 

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Hi Dan,

That's great news that your psych wants to drop your dose. It's recommended here that you taper at 10%. Like you, I was on that high dose of venlafaxine for a while, years ago. I got switched down to 225mg with no tapering and I didn't get any symptoms, that I remember. And no symptoms when I switched from 225mg to 150mg. I guess we are all different but from what I understand, it's the tapering done after the 37.5mg mark that is really really important - for everyone. You may be able to handle to dose dropping or you may not. Each person is different.

Also are you taking or planning to take the supplements recommended on here - fish oil, vitamin e and magnesium? Back when I had my dose reduced, I was taking fish oil (heaps of it) and magnesium. So that may have explained why I didn't get noticeable symptoms.

 

Anyway, let us know how you go with your new dosage and best wishes to you,

 

Seeker

8 years on venlafaxine (generic name Altven). Various doses then 3 years on 75mg. Tapered off too quickly with very bad withdrawals. Put back on at higher dose of 150mg to stabilise. Been at 150mg for a year. Stable and ready to taper slowly.

Dosage 150mg. Average beads in each capsule 543

January 2016. Start tapering. Also taking fish oil, vit e daily and magnesium as required.

08/01 started with 5% taper, held for 2 weeks the. Another 5% and held for a month.

3rd March another 10% cut, now taking out 102 beads. Hold for a month then assess.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hey Dan,

That's great news that your psychiatrist wants to reduce your dose. Unfortunately, such a big cut is putting your current stability at risk.

 

There's a possibility you would be ok with it, but its equally possible it will be a shock to your nervous system and cause all kinds of symptoms to emerge. Once the nervous system becomes sensitized by withdrawal, it can take a long time for it to re-stabilize and during this time, life can be difficult...drugs no longer have their predicted effects and things can quickly go from bad to worse.

 

Do you trust that your psychiatrist knows enough about these drugs, how they work and how to safely taper you off them?

 

Before accepting his plan, please read this:  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

I just wanted to quote something NZ11 wrote earlier in your thread, then will leave it to you to decide what would be best for you.

 

 

 Right now you are stable and that is a place of strength to start from. .....

 

Consider starting  a taper at even 5% and as the months go by you will have a functioning life and in time without even noticing it you will be free .....

 

And no i believe you dont need the docs approval or even have to tell him what you are going to do. (Brass's doc thinks he is still on 20mg...yet he is now on 1mg)  Just use the doc to get the drug. Un-patient yourself and take control. Dont let the clueless doc fly the plane from the ground ..you are the one thats in it. You need it landed safely.

 

You can do this and you have a whole heap of people here to support you...daily!...what doc can do that? 

 

I think what NZ meant to write was 'Don't let the clueless doc fly the plane into the ground..."

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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