Floater Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 I would love to hear from any members who either started their withdrawal in their 60's or successfully withdrew while in their 60's. I have a dear friend who is in her late 60's and has been trying for several years to get off SSRI's and antipsychotic drugs. She is currently going thru a hellish nightmare that includes uncontrollable crying, horrific physical and mental pain, severe, ongoing fatigue and paralyzing fear. I've tried to get her on a forum like this but she doesn't think it would help as she feels there are no people her age trying to get off or who have succeeded at her age. She is finally down to just one tranquilizer, having stopped her last ssri drug about 2 weeks ago. But she is in incredible anguish and despair now. She is convinced she will not make it. I desperately need someone in her age range to respond and we can discuss getting in touch with her. Thank you! Link to comment
Member cymbaltawithdrawal5600 Posted June 18, 2016 Member Share Posted June 18, 2016 Alive and kicking. CT at 62, now 66. Age is no barrier to success. A looooooooooooooong read tho: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878 What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878 July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site. Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted June 18, 2016 Moderator Share Posted June 18, 2016 Hi Floater-- Thank you for watching out for your friend. Hopefully you can talk her into joining us, because it's much easier to help first hand. I have been on paxil for 23 years now. I should be able to finish my taper this fall and be off for good. I just turned 63 a few months ago. We have a very large number of members in this age range (55-75) and a good number of us moderators are too. Your friend would fit in nicely and we would love to have her join us. There is some information we need to better help, what drugs she was taking, doses, how she tried to get off, names, dates, all that sort of thing. Filling in a signature block would be very helpful. The instruction link seems to be missing, but click on your name at the upper right of the page, click on my settings on the popup menu then signature on the menu of the left of the screen. Here are some other threads that will give you some general information to get things started: What is withdrawal syndrome? About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Give those a read then come back and ask us a lot of questions. 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
Member cymbaltawithdrawal5600 Posted June 18, 2016 Member Share Posted June 18, 2016 Just noticed your friend's city: ~ninety miles away from me on the same side of the state. Small world. What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878 July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site. Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey. Link to comment
Marsha Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Hi Floater. I am 63. I was on antidepressants for 20 years, antipsychotics for 12 years and still on tranquilizers. I have a lot of health problems, but I am getting through the withdrawals. I have received such loving, valuable information here and it has and is a source of comfort. Withdrawing at age 60 or older is being accomplished successfully. Please encourage your friend to join. I am sure you will continue to support your friend. We will too. I am not a medical professional. My comments and posts are based on personal experiences. Please consult appropriate medical professionals for advice. I was started on psych drugs back in the late 80's. You name it. I probably was on it. 47 different drugs. Over 57 thousand pills. Tapered off final cocktail February 1st, 2013- September 9th, 2019. For Hashimotos I take Levothyroxine. Liothyronine. BP meds. For supplements I take B12 hydroxy. Fish oil w/D3. Bee pollen. Magnesium Glycinate. Link to comment
Floater Posted June 18, 2016 Author Share Posted June 18, 2016 Thank you brassmonkey. My friend said she will read my post and all the replies. What you said about the age range of many members is what she wanted to hear. So, the door is open for this kind of support and that is what I was seeking. When she feels up to it, she will respond and give you the details you desire. I have not walked in her shoes so I did not feel qualified or confident in my attempts to help her. I think she needs people who are/have been where she is and know first hand what she is going thru. Thank all of you very strong and brave souls! Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus SquirrellyGirl Posted June 18, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 18, 2016 Floater, your friend is very lucky to have you as hers :-) 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
retexan599 Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Floater, my story and path is a bit different from many on the forum, which you can review in my signature. In the last year I have successfully discontinued seroquel and paroxetine. I am age 79. Although many on here have cautioned me that I have tapered too quickly, here I am and doing very well. 1989 -1995: Nortriptlyline, then Zoloft. 1997: New psych Dr. T; ‘Weaned’ off Zoloft; medication carousel next 3 years. 1998-1999: Open heart surgery; divorce; prostate cancer treatment. 1999-2001: Horrible period, new psych Dr. B; hospitalizations, ECT; medication carousel: Paxil, Zyprexa, Lithobid, Depakote, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Nortriptyline, Lamictal, Serzone, Seroquel (what a mess). January 2001, new psych Dr. R, whom I have been with ever since. He saved my life after a long period of experimentation. Seroquel as high as 600mg; added Remeron & Paxil. Stable last several years: Quetiapine 75mg, Mirtazapine 45mg, Paroxetine 30 mg, Clorazepate 3.75mg, L-methylfolate (Deplin) 15mg 2015: Weaned off of Quetiapine completely over several months; no problems. Paroxetine: 10/6/2015 - 30mg -> 20mg; 11/24/2015 - 20mg -> 15mg; 12/14/2015 -15mg -> 10mg; 1/29/2016 -10mg -> 5mg; 2/25/2016 5mg -> zero. All under psychiatrist supervision. No ill effects seen so far as of 12/22/2016. Continuing Mirtazapine and L-methylfolate. I have lost about 22 lbs. (207->185) over the last year or so; probably Paroxetine discontinuation (leptin effect). Link to comment
caperjackie Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Floater ....... I am 63 and have been off Paxil for 5 years after being on them for 14 years. It CAN be done but it is not an easy road. She will find a lot of information and support on this site ....... good luck to her (and to you) ... Link to comment
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