mrsrebeccahall Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 I was never diagnosed 13 yrs ago when. My OBGYN gave me Zoloft. I was at the end of my first pregnancy. She said 'let me give you something for your nerves'. I had a very caring GP that was fresh out of medical school. He titrated me up and switched me to a different SSRI when I experienced poop out. By the time I moved away from him I had tried all SSRIs. I did well with Celexa for the last five years or so. It was when I became pregnant again four years ago that I did a rapid taper. Withdrawal syndrome was too much so I went back to 20mg during this pregnancy. I held steady until delivery then returned to my full dose at 40mg. Fast forward to August 2015. I realized what the SSRIs have done to my body. Hair loss, weight gain, depression, anxiety, immune system and gastrointestinal problems. I did a 50% cut. Felt great for three months. Withdrawal syndrome kicked in and my face started tending up. Especially my mouth, jaws and tongue. That was in November 2015. I went back up to 40mg in November. By December I was still having then tension in my face so I decided to talk to my doctor (again). He was not supportive with helping me wean from the meds. He wanted me to see a psychiatrist. He was willing to switch me to Lexapro because its available in liquid form. He recommended I see a Pdoc to taper off from there. I know a psychiatrist wll not help. I forgot to mention I had a period of about five years that I saw a wonderful military Pdoc that would have helped. I didn't know at that time that I needed off the meds. Now I'm stuck. In the past three years I have tried three times to wean and unaware of protracted withdrawal, went back on the meds. Now I've done long-term damage, but not as much as the SSRIs have done from taking them for so many years. I want my life back and I'm determined to be drug free. I'm aware of the 10% taper and will do just that. Unsure of whether or not I will see a Pdoc in the process. 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted January 27, 2016 Moderator Share Posted January 27, 2016 Hi Rebecca-- Welcome to the group, I'm so glad you've found us. It sounds like you've been all over the place lately with these meds. If you've only been on the Lexapro since December then it would be a good idea to stay put for another month or so to let things stabilize really well before starting to taper. In the mean time there is some prep work you can do to get ready for a successful taper. Firs off will be a lot of reading as we over load you with links and information: Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Preparing to taper Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram) That's enough to get you started, have a read through and come back with lots of question. Thank you fro adding a signature block, it really helps us keep track of what's happening so we can give better advise. Also it you're using your real name, we advise against it as this is a very public forum and anonymity is very important to the process. If you would like to change it just say the word. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share Posted January 28, 2016 I want the world to know what I'm going through Thanks for your reply. I have a question. How long do you think it would take me to feel the first drop? Going from 20mg Lexapro to 18? 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted January 28, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 28, 2016 Hi mrsrebeccahall , welcome to the site. Some people feel symptoms within hours , some not for a few days. Usual symptoms include "zaps" , dizziness , nausea diarrhea and sleep disturbance. From your description in post1 , you need to be on the lookout for facial/jaw tension. If this starts , you might want to slow down the taper - take smaller cuts next time round. Some people find they get way less symptoms with 5% cuts. It's a bit of trial and error , but 10% is safe for the majority of people. Remind yourself that whatever changes you experience , they are temporary and have come from the drop in meds. It's hard not to get anxious , but that will just exacerbate symptoms. Try and stay calm. It's going to be fine. Best wishes , Fresh One way to let the world know about this is to register your history and withdrawal problems to www.Rxisk.org. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share Posted January 28, 2016 Thank you! I'm just getting over the face/jaw tension. It's amazing you brought that up. I did a 50% cut last August and didn't feel it until November. I'm just now getting relief after reinstating and switching to Lexapro. I will hold for another month before I do a 10% taper. My question is referring to protacted withdrawal. I'm wondering if that will happen with the 10% and if so, how long will it take to show up? 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 Can anyone check my sig and tell me when I can start my taper? 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus SquirrellyGirl Posted February 2, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 2, 2016 Hi Rebecca (hope you don't mind, easier than the whole username!) How do you feel on the Lexapro now? Do you have any withdrawal symptoms from before? It sounds like you did a direct switch to Lexapro with no taper of Celexa. I think Brassmonkey suggested that you stabilize on the Lexapro for another month. Lexapro may be staving off the withdrawal from Celexa and you haven't been on it that long. Since you did a switch of meds, it might be best for you to try a 5% cut to begin with. You were on Zoloft and then the other meds for quite some time and a lot of nervous system remodeling occurred in response to the action of the drug. The longer we are on a drug and the higher the dose, the more gently we need to come off. I think the nervous system needs babying to get working on it's own after being dumbed down by the drugs for so long. I was on Effexor for 12 years before I tried to come off too quickly. I went through 10 months of protracted withdrawal, not realizing what was happening, and ended up first on Remeron, and when that didn't work, back on Effexor. I came off 75 mg, and 10 months later 37.5 mg worked out, which I now see as a high reinstatement dose. However, I didn't have any side effects or adverse reactions, so to me that suggest that my nervous system was very sluggish in getting kick-started back into action. So, take it nice and easy to start with. Many a folk here have been too hasty with their tapers and got themselves into hot water. It is much better to start off conservatively and stay comfortable and functional! I'm glad you joined us. You will definitely learn a lot here and get tons of support! SG Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac. Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002 Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history. Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots! Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off. Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep. June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened! Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015. Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month. 12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18: 2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679 This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 Thank you! I can do a very small tapee. But when should I do it? 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted February 2, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 2, 2016 Ok , so you switched to lexapro in December . . . what date? I'd wait at least 2 months from when you started lexapro before you begin tapering. The more stable a place you begin from , the smoother it will go. No one knows how to predict if protracted withdrawal will show up or not. I tend to think that folks like you and me , who've been on meds. for many years , may be more susceptible. The best we can do is take extra care not to rush our taper , and take long holds every now and then to allow our brains to strengthen. I've just held for 10 weeks after tapering from 50mg to 25mg. There's no hurry to get off in my house , lol. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 I have a question. Please check my signature to see where I am. I now know cutting 50% was a huge mistake. After three months, I reinstated my original dose. Then my doctor switch my SSRI. I have felt horrible since then. Nothing is better. It's been six weeks since my last change and the side effects of the Lexapro have me feeling even worse than protacted withdrawal. Please help! 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted February 7, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 7, 2016 I've moved your new topic about reinstating to this thread. It's one per customer in the Introductions section. What are the side effects that have started since you reinstated lexapro? 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted February 9, 2016 Author Share Posted February 9, 2016 The best way to do this would be to tell you what additional side effects I have with Lexapro that I didn't have with Celexa. I've gained twelve lbs in six weeks. I'm much more irritable, depressed and unmotivated. I switched from Celexa to Lexapro 12/11/15. I ct'd Lexapro 12/18/15. I felt amazing, except for the heart palpitations. Those scared me, so I reinstated. I am still miserable. I feel worse now than I have the entire thirteen yrs I've been taking this crap. I have taken Zolft, Lexapro, Celexa, welbutrin, Cymbalta, Ability, Prozac, Paxil, Effexor and Gabapentin (if that even matters). I have taken them all at least once and I may be forgetting some. Doctors would titrate me up when it popped out then switch me to something else and so on. Right now my anxiety is through the roof. I'm unintentionally sucking on my tongue and I have tension in my mouth and jaw muscles. I have to absolutely force myself to eat. I have ridiculous pains here and there throughout my abdomen. My hands and feet swell and go numb. My tongue swells. I have rashes pop up that are called eczema by my derm. My heart feels like its going to jump out of my chest. All of this is worse after I take my daily dose. I also have huge cystic, painful acne all over my face. Not dairy or hormone related. I can't stand my husband at all right now. Can't stand to look at him. I don't know what to do. 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted February 10, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 10, 2016 Hi mrs RH , after you stopped lexapro on 18 December , how long before you reinstated? I've asked the more experienced moderators to advise. It sounds to me like you're having an adverse reaction and may need to decrease the lexapro a little to see if some of those symptoms resolve. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 10, 2016 Administrator Share Posted February 10, 2016 Hello, mrsR. While the two drugs are closely related, Lexapro is several times stronger than Celexa. It sounds like the dose of Lexapro you're taking is too much for you. You could try reducing the Lexapro dosage by 10% and see if that helps. (Celexa also comes in a liquid for tapering, I'm sorry your doctor was misinformed.) This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 Fresh: it was christmas day. I only lasted a week on the ct. Alto:He didn't inform me. He won't even help me taper. He's my primary care physician. He doesn't even know that Lexapro comes in liquid form. I told him I wanted off the meds and he insists I see a psychiatrist. My husband separated from the Navy last year. The psychiatrist I saw was very helpful with a taper plan for me. He explained everything in great detail. He didn't work for pharmaceuticals. I have moved back to my small hometown where I have no resources. Traveling to a doctor is even a challenge. Even getting kitchen scales to measure a cut will have to wait. Thank you all for your responses and help. I feel this constant state of panic now. My body is fighting hard! 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted February 10, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 10, 2016 You can order jewellers' scales on ebay for about $30. They need to measure to 0.000. Kitchen scales aren't precise enough. Is your husband there to help you? Please read "Tips for Tapering Lexapro" here Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram) It's very important to decrease your dose - these are pretty serious side effects. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 BUT I HAVE YOU GUYS!!!! 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 10, 2016 Administrator Share Posted February 10, 2016 MrsR, you can make a liquid from Lexapro with water yourself. Please read Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram) This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
nz11 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 (edited) Wow you deserve a medal for holding all that together. Do you know what i reckon ...when you start to taper start real slow like 2.5% for the first month. Just an idea but i would hate to see you trigger ssri wdl. Edited February 8, 2019 by ChessieCat removed quote of now hidden post Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 I was on SSRIs for 13 years and the last one was Lexapro. I've been off six months and really like having feelings again. PMS is very difficult because I forgot what that felt like. I never had depression before meds and don't even know why I took them. I feel a bit sensitive, depressed and some social anxiety a week before my period but otherwise I am much better off. My digestive system is still recovering. Not very trusting to see any doctors for that. A high quality high value EPA fish oil got me through the brain zaps and lethargy of withdrawal. Hugs to you guys! 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Mentor RachelSusan Posted March 12, 2018 Mentor Share Posted March 12, 2018 Hi MrsR, I saw your post about being a success story on another thread. Congrats to you. I just now read your thread, it looks like you went through a lot. If you ever care to tell us more we could all use an uplift. If not, I'm glad you shared what you did. Thank you again, Rachel I am not a health professional in any way. I do not give medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a professional medical practitioner. NEW INFORMATION FOR GABAPENTIN TAPER April 29, 2022 900 mg to 800 mg (11%), May 29, 2022 800 to 700 mg (12.5%), June 20, 2022 700 to 650mg (8%), July 20, 2022 650 to 575 (12%), August 20, 575 to 500 (13%), Sept 20, 2020 500 to 475mg (5%) Nov 7, 2022 475 to 425 (11%), Nov 21, 2022 500mg Medications: Gabapentin, Prednisone 1.5mg a day, Cortisol Inhaler daily. HISTORY FOR ZOLOFT TAPER Feb. 2016 to June 2016 - Was on 150mg Zoloft. Put on Gabapentin at 900mg a day in 2016 due to antidepressant withdrawal. Quit Zoloft (Sertraline) June 2016, reinstated 50mg of Zoloft July 2016. From July 2016 to October 2016 went from 50 mg down 2.3 mg. I up-dosed in November 2016 to 12.5 mg. Held there until January 2017 when I started a much slower taper. STARTING SENSIBLE ZOLOFT TAPERING USING GUIDELINES FROM THIS SITE Dec. 10 2016 - switched to Liquid Zoloft (Sertraline) @ 12.5 mg. Jan. 4, 2020 1.875 mg (6.3%). Jan. 25, 2020 1.75 mg. Feb. 29, 2020 1.625mg (7.10%). Apr. 4, 2020 1.5 mg. May 9, 2020 1.375 mg. June 6, 2020 1.25 mg. (9.10%). July 4, 2020 1.125 mg. (10%). August 15, 2020 1.0 mg. Oct 24, 2020 .875 mg. Nov. 28, 2020 .75mg. Jan 16, 2021 .685mg (8.7%). Feb 13, 2021 .62mg. March 12, 2021 .56mg. May 1, 2021 .375mg. May 29, 2021 .25mg. June 26, 2021 .0125mg. July 25, 2021 .065mg. August 22, 2021 .048mg. October 2, 2021 .043mg. October 10, 2021 .038mg. October 23, 2021 .035mg. October 30, 2021 .032mg. Nov. 13, 2021 .030 mg. Dec 4, 2021 .0285 mg. Dec 11, 2021 .0265 mg. Dec 18, 2021 .0246 mg. Dec 25, 2021 .023mg. Jan 1, 2022. 0 mg. OFF COMPLETELY Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 On 3/12/2018 at 12:35 PM, RachelSusan said: Hi MrsR, I saw your post about being a success story on another thread. Congrats to you. I just now read your thread, it looks like you went through a lot. If you ever care to tell us more we could all use an uplift. If not, I'm glad you shared what you did. Thank you again, Rachel Hi Rachel! I am doing great! I did not do a slow taper. I did a fast taper because the meds were making me sick. I do not recommend this for the record. The last dose off SSRIs I took was 2/16/16, over two years ago. I have some grouchy PMS but otherwise I am doing very well. I am happy to answer any specific questions. I did use a lot of supplements to get through withdrawal and still trying to fix my dopamine receptors. All of my health problems are reversed and I’m healthier than ever 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 How do I delete that super long, embarrassing comment? 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Mentor RachelSusan Posted March 14, 2018 Mentor Share Posted March 14, 2018 MrsR, I'm so glad to hear you are recovered. Good news is always welcome. I'm wondering how long it took you to get over the symptoms when you finished your fast taper? Again, congrats. I love good news. Rachel I am not a health professional in any way. I do not give medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a professional medical practitioner. NEW INFORMATION FOR GABAPENTIN TAPER April 29, 2022 900 mg to 800 mg (11%), May 29, 2022 800 to 700 mg (12.5%), June 20, 2022 700 to 650mg (8%), July 20, 2022 650 to 575 (12%), August 20, 575 to 500 (13%), Sept 20, 2020 500 to 475mg (5%) Nov 7, 2022 475 to 425 (11%), Nov 21, 2022 500mg Medications: Gabapentin, Prednisone 1.5mg a day, Cortisol Inhaler daily. HISTORY FOR ZOLOFT TAPER Feb. 2016 to June 2016 - Was on 150mg Zoloft. Put on Gabapentin at 900mg a day in 2016 due to antidepressant withdrawal. Quit Zoloft (Sertraline) June 2016, reinstated 50mg of Zoloft July 2016. From July 2016 to October 2016 went from 50 mg down 2.3 mg. I up-dosed in November 2016 to 12.5 mg. Held there until January 2017 when I started a much slower taper. STARTING SENSIBLE ZOLOFT TAPERING USING GUIDELINES FROM THIS SITE Dec. 10 2016 - switched to Liquid Zoloft (Sertraline) @ 12.5 mg. Jan. 4, 2020 1.875 mg (6.3%). Jan. 25, 2020 1.75 mg. Feb. 29, 2020 1.625mg (7.10%). Apr. 4, 2020 1.5 mg. May 9, 2020 1.375 mg. June 6, 2020 1.25 mg. (9.10%). July 4, 2020 1.125 mg. (10%). August 15, 2020 1.0 mg. Oct 24, 2020 .875 mg. Nov. 28, 2020 .75mg. Jan 16, 2021 .685mg (8.7%). Feb 13, 2021 .62mg. March 12, 2021 .56mg. May 1, 2021 .375mg. May 29, 2021 .25mg. June 26, 2021 .0125mg. July 25, 2021 .065mg. August 22, 2021 .048mg. October 2, 2021 .043mg. October 10, 2021 .038mg. October 23, 2021 .035mg. October 30, 2021 .032mg. Nov. 13, 2021 .030 mg. Dec 4, 2021 .0285 mg. Dec 11, 2021 .0265 mg. Dec 18, 2021 .0246 mg. Dec 25, 2021 .023mg. Jan 1, 2022. 0 mg. OFF COMPLETELY Link to comment
Waltjie Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 On 14/03/2018 at 4:12 AM, mrsrebeccahall said: Hi Rachel! I am doing great! I did not do a slow taper. I did a fast taper because the meds were making me sick. I do not recommend this for the record. The last dose off SSRIs I took was 2/16/16, over two years ago. I have some grouchy PMS but otherwise I am doing very well. I am happy to answer any specific questions. I did use a lot of supplements to get through withdrawal and still trying to fix my dopamine receptors. All of my health problems are reversed and I’m healthier than ever This is so wonderful to hear! I'm extremely happy for you! (2002 - 2007) Arapax, Cipramil, Effexor, Prozac (2008 - June 2017) Escitalopram, 15mg daily (Started tapering July 1st 2017, 10% pm) July 13.5mg August 12mg September 11mg October - 12March 10mg 12-14 March 9mg 15 March - present 10mg Link to comment
jonnypeters1234567 Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 On 3/14/2018 at 2:12 AM, mrsrebeccahall said: Hi Rachel! I am doing great! I did not do a slow taper. I did a fast taper because the meds were making me sick. I do not recommend this for the record. The last dose off SSRIs I took was 2/16/16, over two years ago. I have some grouchy PMS but otherwise I am doing very well. I am happy to answer any specific questions. I did use a lot of supplements to get through withdrawal and still trying to fix my dopamine receptors. All of my health problems are reversed and I’m healthier than ever Hi well donw on recovery. How long was it untill the anhedonia cleared up? 2009-2010 Citalopram 20mg CT no problems Sertaline 2010- 6monnths 2011- 2017 June 2017- Citalopram 20mg CT Link to comment
mrsrebeccahall Posted January 7, 2019 Author Share Posted January 7, 2019 I’m doing great! Almost three years off meds and I’m 30 weeks pregnant. Healthy and happy :) 13 yrs on SSRIs-tried all of them-august 2015 did a 50% taper from 40mg Celexa to 20mg-protracted withdrawal November 2015. Reinstated 40mg Celexa. December switched to Lexapro 20mg bc its available in liquid form to prepare for taper. Three unsuccessful prior attempts to wean and determined to be successful. No doctor will help me. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted January 7, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 7, 2019 Hi mrsrebeccahall and congratulations on your pregnancy. Not long to go now. Please update your drug signature so that members can easily see your drug history. I suggest that you copy and paste the current drug signature into a post so that you retain that information then create a very simple one using the following format: Keep it simple. NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you: details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Carmie Posted January 8, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 8, 2019 17 hours ago, mrsrebeccahall said: I’m doing great! Almost three years off meds and I’m 30 weeks pregnant. Healthy and happy That’s wonderful mrs rebeccahall, Congratulations on your pregnancy, and so wonderful to hear about your recovery. Well done! You are an inspiration to all. Sending hugs🤗 Seroquel. 2019:➡️ From 7.25mg to 5.80mg✔️ 2020➡️From 5.60 to 4.80✔️ 2021➡️From 4.60 to 4.0✔️ 2022➡️From 3.95 to 3.55✔️2023➡️ Jan 26=3.50✔️March 17=3.45✔️ June12=3.40✔️ July30=3.35✔️ Sep14=3.30✔️ Oct31=3.25✔️ 2024➡️Jan15=3.20✔️ Feb19=3.15✔️ March26=3.10✔️This is NOT medical advice.Consult your doctor. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 8, 2019 Administrator Share Posted January 8, 2019 How did you go off finally? Please update your signature. Good to hear you're doing better. This calls for our cheerful "here comes the sun" symbol ☼ to be added to the title of your Intro topic, to show you're recovering. Please continue to let us know how you're doing. I hope you will add your story to our Recovery Success Stories ! This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
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