Denstar51 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 (edited) I am new to this site I took Paxil for 13 years and Lamotrigine for 3 years. At 31 months out I am still having bad symptoms like tinnitus, brain fog, agoraphobia and a few others. Unfortunately I cold turkey because at the time I had no knowledge of tapering from anyone. Is this a normal pattern? Sure would like feedback. Thanks Edited August 5, 2016 by scallywag tags added Link to comment
Neuroplastic Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Hello, Denstar! Welcome to the forum! Yes, it's absolutely normal to feel that, especially after c/t. The good news it will be getting better, despite the recurring waves and frequently changing symptoms. All the symptoms you're mentioning are typical WD. What symptoms have improved for you already? 2000-2008 Paxil for a situational depression 2008 - Paxil c/t Severe protracted WD syndrome ever since; improving “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once” Albert Einstein "Add signature to your profile. This way we can help you even better!" Surviving Antidepressants And, above all, ... keep walking. Just keep walking. Link to comment
stan Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 hello my friend ! happy to see you everywhere for anxiety 12 years paxil - cold turkey 1,5 month - switch celexa 1 year taper; total 13 years on brain meds 67 years old - 9 years med free in protracted withdrawal rigidity standing and walking, dryness gougerot-szoegren, sleep deteriorate, function as have a lack of nerves, improving have been very little Link to comment
Healing Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Denstar, welcome! I just moved this thread to Introductions, which is where people will be able to find it better. 1996-97 - Paxil x 9 months, tapered, suffered 8 months withdrawal but didn't know it was withdrawal, so... 1998-2001 - Zoloft, tapered, again unwittingly went into withdrawal, so... 2002-03 - Paxil x 20 months, developed severe headaches, so... Sep 03 - May 05 - Paxil taper took 20 months, severe physical, moderate psychological symptoms Sep 03 - Jun 05 - took Prozac to help with Paxil taper - not recommended Jul 05 to date - post-taper, severe psychological, moderate physical symptoms, improving very slowly Link to comment
Healing Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I am new to this site I took Paxil for 13 years and Lamotrigine for 3 years. At 31 months out I am still having bad symptoms like tinnitus, brain fog, agoraphobia and a few others. Unfortunately I cold turkey because at the time I had no knowledge of tapering from anyone. Is this a normal pattern? Sure would like feedback. Thanks Yes, you are well within the normal range for this charming experience. Suffering the way you are is awful, but it is really nothing to worry about. Your body knows what to do and is healing quietly behind the scenes. 1996-97 - Paxil x 9 months, tapered, suffered 8 months withdrawal but didn't know it was withdrawal, so... 1998-2001 - Zoloft, tapered, again unwittingly went into withdrawal, so... 2002-03 - Paxil x 20 months, developed severe headaches, so... Sep 03 - May 05 - Paxil taper took 20 months, severe physical, moderate psychological symptoms Sep 03 - Jun 05 - took Prozac to help with Paxil taper - not recommended Jul 05 to date - post-taper, severe psychological, moderate physical symptoms, improving very slowly Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 17, 2015 Administrator Share Posted February 17, 2015 Denstar, how the heck are you?? 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
Christian Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Denstar, Just wondering if you are still out there ? Lexapro: started in 2002 at 10 mgs. Ambien: started as a as needed sleep aid in 2010. Quit Lexapro cold turkey in June 20015 due to contributing to low sodium issues. Restarted Lexapro in late November for a week (only 5 mgs) but quit due to dizziness side effects. Side effects worsened for 3 weeks until 12/24/15: Protracted WD hit, experienced extreme anxiety, insomnia lack of full concentration and social challenges. Reinstated Lexapro on 1/1/16 at 5 mgs. Increased per Dr to 7.5 MG. Tapered off Lexapro in March 2016. Started 50MG of Seroquel in late January 2016 for bedtime to help in eliminate Ambien. Tapered off both Seroquel and Ambien in March 2016. 2/14/16: Prescribed both Remeron (15 MG) and Temazapam (15 MG) for sleep. Also use Klonopin and Ambien again in place of Temazapam to avoid addiction. However I did take Temazapam 60 straight days 6/15/16: Stopped use of all benzo's and now use Belsomra 1-2 times a week. Still on 15 MG of Remeron 10/11/16: Off all psych medications After kindling, trying to regain my strength suffering from severe mental and physical fatigue. Link to comment
nz11 Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Wow yeah id be very interested in hearing how you are too. It appears you and i both got off paxil at about the same time. Do please let us know how you are. 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
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 27, 2020 Administrator Share Posted August 27, 2020 On 1/22/2015 at 4:57 AM, Denstar51 said: I'm in my 7th year of w/d and still recovering. Never thought it would take this long, but been on Paxil & Lamictal YEARS. Hope it will be over soon. Dennis On 8/15/2015 at 7:08 AM, Denstar51 said: I wonder if anyone experiences a more sensitive body chemestry after getting over w/d. I can't seem to tolerate caffeine and if I do I get bad muscle pains in my legs. Dennis Denstar51 @Denstar51, please visit and let us know how you're doing. I added our cheerful "here comes the sun" symbol ☼ to the title of your Intro topic, to show you're recovering. 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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