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purcy51


purcy51

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Starting today feeling sluggish, hungover-ish and somewhat down. Took my evening meds later than normal yesterday b/c I was at work until almost 8pm. Hate feeling that it is difficult to get started, its not my usual m.o.

Currently reinstated Cymbalta(Mar 17,2016) after experiencing withdrawal while switching to Viibryd. Reinstated Cymbalta at 20mg QD.

1999 200mg Zoloft

2010 0mg Zoloft 60mg Cymbalta

2015 60mg Cymbalta 150mg Seroquel 100mg Topamax

Mar. 2016 20mg Cymbalta. 30mg Viibryd doing a quick taper 150mg Seroquel

April 1, 2016 off viibryd, 20mg Cymbalta, 150mg Seroquel

GI & Cardiac meds:

40mg pantoprazole QD

Also take 75mg plavix QD, 3.125mg carvedilol BID, and 81mg aspirin QD.

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I've been keeping a close eye on my reaction to Seroquel. I take 150mg at 7pm every night. Over the last few weeks it has suddenly become VERY sedating, which I haven't experienced since I first started taking it. I started taking it in August of 2015. Is it normal for this to happen? Could it be because I have less Cymbalta in my system since I decreased that a little over a month ago? Regardless, I'm going to start tapering seroquel. I know Fresh suggested I do just that a few weeks ago, but I didn't then only to be sure I'd stabilized on the lower dose of Cymbalta. I've read all the tips for tapering Seroquel and am going to start with a 10% reduction tomorrow. I do take the XR version, so I'm hoping I can do this safely by cutting the tablets. (My doc isn't very supportive, and I don't have the resources to shop for a different doc around right now)

 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Currently reinstated Cymbalta(Mar 17,2016) after experiencing withdrawal while switching to Viibryd. Reinstated Cymbalta at 20mg QD.

1999 200mg Zoloft

2010 0mg Zoloft 60mg Cymbalta

2015 60mg Cymbalta 150mg Seroquel 100mg Topamax

Mar. 2016 20mg Cymbalta. 30mg Viibryd doing a quick taper 150mg Seroquel

April 1, 2016 off viibryd, 20mg Cymbalta, 150mg Seroquel

GI & Cardiac meds:

40mg pantoprazole QD

Also take 75mg plavix QD, 3.125mg carvedilol BID, and 81mg aspirin QD.

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Hi purcy, I'm just dropping by to see how you are doing. Sorry, I can't answer your question. But I can tell you that I found one of my antidepressants really sedating, and less than a week after my second cut, I already have more energy and my brain is working better. What a relief!

 

I hope that you find some relief soon from the sedation, too.

1980-84?: tricyclic antidepressant? unknown dosage, gradually quit by forgetting to take it

2011: Cipralex 10 mg increased to 20 mg after two months, Zyprexa 2.5 mg increased to 5 mg after one month

2012: Cipralex 20 mg, Zyprexa reduced to 2.5 mg, then stopped (withdrawal symptoms attributed to depression), Abilify 2 mg, then increased to 5 mg 

2013: Cipralex 20 mg, Wellbutrin 150 mg, Abilify decreased to 2 mg and then stopped

2014: Cipralex reduced to 10 mg (no taper and withdrawal symptoms), Wellbutrin 150 mg

2015-16: Cipralex 10 mg, Wellbutrin 150 mg

Started tapering Cipralex on March 31, 2016: 9 mg; April 27: 8.25 mg, May 25: 7.25 mg

Off Cipralex late fall 2016 after a slow taper.

Off Wellbutrin late winter/early spring 2017 after a taper.

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Thanks Persephone! I appreciate your support! I've made the decision to hold off on the Seroquel taper a bit longer. As I thought it over, I realized I've got quite a bit of stress right now. Fighting to get hours at work, as well as getting ready to move. I'm afraid switching things up med-wise might make things worse. I don't need to be in a hurry, especially right now. However, I think I may experiment with taking the Seroquel later in the evening in hopes that I'll be asleep by the time the overwhelming sedation kicks in.

 

I am glad hearing that your reduction went well so far. I pray that it continues for you!

Currently reinstated Cymbalta(Mar 17,2016) after experiencing withdrawal while switching to Viibryd. Reinstated Cymbalta at 20mg QD.

1999 200mg Zoloft

2010 0mg Zoloft 60mg Cymbalta

2015 60mg Cymbalta 150mg Seroquel 100mg Topamax

Mar. 2016 20mg Cymbalta. 30mg Viibryd doing a quick taper 150mg Seroquel

April 1, 2016 off viibryd, 20mg Cymbalta, 150mg Seroquel

GI & Cardiac meds:

40mg pantoprazole QD

Also take 75mg plavix QD, 3.125mg carvedilol BID, and 81mg aspirin QD.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

purcy - Sounds like you've made a wise decision about timing the next steps of tapering.  One nice thing about the recommended approach here is that *WE* are in control of the dosage and the timing. (We always were, we just didn't know it or have the support to take control.) I hope the work issues resolve quickly and better than you'd hoped. Packing to move is a permanent member of my "don't want to do that again" list.  Wishing you lots of excellent boxes and a stress-light move!

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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Scallywag: Thanks for the feedback.

 

I was feeling pretty good at the time I posted last. However, since then I've been in a difficult wave. Really bad depersonalization. Had one of those days yesterday where I felt on the verge of crying all day but when I took the time to let it out I couldn't do it. I just could 't cry. And that just pissed me off!

 

I had been trying OJ before bed every night the last few nights and it seemed to help somewhat with anxiety, but I'm concerned that I am just to sensitive to it, maybe that is what is causing the DP. Wishing I was back where I was when I last posted.Funny how one's perspective changes after\during a wave.

 

My other thought is I may have taken something I shouldn't have. My wife put some of her meds in the same place a mine Friday and I didn't realize it. And instead of taking my Seroquel I'm thinking I may have picked up her bottle of oxycontin and taken that by mistake. The pills look very similar. I'm leaning more towards that being the issue right now. Lesson learned! Always look at the bottle before taking it!!

Feeling a bit better today, but still a good titch "fragile". Hopefully I'm coming into a window.

Currently reinstated Cymbalta(Mar 17,2016) after experiencing withdrawal while switching to Viibryd. Reinstated Cymbalta at 20mg QD.

1999 200mg Zoloft

2010 0mg Zoloft 60mg Cymbalta

2015 60mg Cymbalta 150mg Seroquel 100mg Topamax

Mar. 2016 20mg Cymbalta. 30mg Viibryd doing a quick taper 150mg Seroquel

April 1, 2016 off viibryd, 20mg Cymbalta, 150mg Seroquel

GI & Cardiac meds:

40mg pantoprazole QD

Also take 75mg plavix QD, 3.125mg carvedilol BID, and 81mg aspirin QD.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

purcy: Once upon a time, I was hired by friends of friends of the family to house-sit and dog-sit for 2 weeks.  There was a pill I gave the dog daily.  It was only near the end of the 2 weeks that I realized I'd been giving him the lady-owner's Valium!

 

Having done that -- with no immediate, unfortunate consequences for the dog -- I now mark up prescription bottles when I have more than 1.  For instance when I had extreme insomnia pushing me into hypomania, my pDoc prescribed lorazepam as needed. I used a bright highlighter over the drug name on the label and put two elastic bands on the bottle - one vertically over the cap, one around the cylinder.  That helped me distinguish the benzo from other sleep aids in my bedside table drawer in dim light or by feel.

 

Hope your unintentional detour into opiates hasn't cost you too much in terms of symptoms.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Scallywag: Thanks for the feedback.

 

I was feeling pretty good at the time I posted last. However, since then I've been in a difficult wave. Really bad depersonalization. Had one of those days yesterday where I felt on the verge of crying all day but when I took the time to let it out I couldn't do it. I just could 't cry. And that just pissed me off!

 

I had been trying OJ before bed every night the last few nights and it seemed to help somewhat with anxiety, but I'm concerned that I am just to sensitive to it, maybe that is what is causing the DP. Wishing I was back where I was when I last posted.Funny how one's perspective changes after\during a wave.

 

My other thought is I may have taken something I shouldn't have. My wife put some of her meds in the same place a mine Friday and I didn't realize it. And instead of taking my Seroquel I'm thinking I may have picked up her bottle of oxycontin and taken that by mistake. The pills look very similar. I'm leaning more towards that being the issue right now. Lesson learned! Always look at the bottle before taking it!!

Feeling a bit better today, but still a good titch "fragile". Hopefully I'm coming into a window.

Hi Purcy, you have been doing well and I'm sorry that you are feeling bad now. It could be because you accidentally took the wrong drug. I did that a few months ago, took an AD 10 months after stopping following a very long taper! It was horrendous and took a while to feel better again. Not a mistake that I'll be making again, I double check everything now.  It could also be a wave, if you are not sure about the other drug, they can come out of the blue when you think you are stable but they do pass. 

 

If you are thinking of cutting the seroquel XR by cutting it will destroy the slow release and you will get the whole dose in one hit.  Read the tips for tapering seroquel carefully before you start the taper, it explains everything. 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1707-tips-for-tapering-off-seroquel-quetiapine/

**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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Scallywag: Thanks for the feedback.

I was feeling pretty good at the time I posted last. However, since then I've been in a difficult wave. Really bad depersonalization. Had one of those days yesterday where I felt on the verge of crying all day but when I took the time to let it out I couldn't do it. I just could 't cry. And that just pissed me off!

I had been trying OJ before bed every night the last few nights and it seemed to help somewhat with anxiety, but I'm concerned that I am just to sensitive to it, maybe that is what is causing the DP. Wishing I was back where I was when I last posted.Funny how one's perspective changes after\during a wave.

My other thought is I may have taken something I shouldn't have. My wife put some of her meds in the same place a mine Friday and I didn't realize it. And instead of taking my Seroquel I'm thinking I may have picked up her bottle of oxycontin and taken that by mistake. The pills look very similar. I'm leaning more towards that being the issue right now. Lesson learned! Always look at the bottle before taking it!!

Feeling a bit better today, but still a good titch "fragile". Hopefully I'm coming into a window.

 

Hi Purcy, you have been doing well and I'm sorry that you are feeling bad now. It could be because you accidentally took the wrong drug. I did that a few months ago, took an AD 10 months after stopping following a very long taper! It was horrendous and took a while to feel better again. Not a mistake that I'll be making again, I double check everything now.  It could also be a wave, if you are not sure about the other drug, they can come out of the blue when you think you are stable but they do pass. 

 

If you are thinking of cutting the seroquel XR by cutting it will destroy the slow release and you will get the whole dose in one hit.  Read the tips for tapering seroquel carefully before you start the taper, it explains everything. 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1707-tips-for-tapering-off-seroquel-quetiapine/

Thanks mammaP! I have read your story, it amazes me how after almost a year off that one dose could cause so much trouble. Thank you for sharing with us, it is a good reminder how sensitive our nervous systems are.

 

Your recommendations re:Seroquel are one of the reasons I decided to hold off. I'm more than likely moving to Colorado and there are quite a few docs out there that recognize long withdrawal from psych meds, so I decided to wait in hopes that I can find one there to help me with the seroquel taper. Possibly switching back to IR seroquel and taking it twice a day and tapering from there. But, that is in the future. Right now I'm just focusing on the present as much as I'm able to. Today ended up being a really good day. A few hours after I posted this morning I started feeling so much better. So, I am savoring this moment, this relief I feel, knowing there may be another wave coming.

Currently reinstated Cymbalta(Mar 17,2016) after experiencing withdrawal while switching to Viibryd. Reinstated Cymbalta at 20mg QD.

1999 200mg Zoloft

2010 0mg Zoloft 60mg Cymbalta

2015 60mg Cymbalta 150mg Seroquel 100mg Topamax

Mar. 2016 20mg Cymbalta. 30mg Viibryd doing a quick taper 150mg Seroquel

April 1, 2016 off viibryd, 20mg Cymbalta, 150mg Seroquel

GI & Cardiac meds:

40mg pantoprazole QD

Also take 75mg plavix QD, 3.125mg carvedilol BID, and 81mg aspirin QD.

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

That is really good to hear, hope it lasts for you  :)

**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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  • 1 month later...
  • Moderator Emeritus
purcy How are things going?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment

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