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BBC Journalist looking to expose problems of withdrawal


LesleyAshmall

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I'm a British BBC TV reporter and I want to make a film about the problems of withdrawing from antidepressants. I'm keen to hear from people who've struggled with SSRIs, particularly if you like in the UK. Also what you think about the lack of support groups, or if you HAVE a support group, how do you help?

Please email me your stories, confidentially at first, of course, although ultimately I'm looking for people who will be willing to stand up and speak about what's happened to them.  I think few people know or report this sort of problem and I know many of you are really really struggling for help.  My BBC2 programme wants to expose all this, so please get in touch.

Lesley.ashmall@bbc.co.uk

 

Thank you very much.  This forum has been recommended to me by several long-term members, so forgive my intrusion.

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Lesley

So glad you are doing a programme on this. 

Its soo needed.

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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  • Administrator

Welcome, Lesley.

 

I've moved your topic to our forum for such announcements.

 

The difficulty of going off psychiatric drugs should get a lot more attention. Many physicians still do not acknowledge withdrawal syndrome.

 

You'll find a lot of background information in the Introductions, Tapering, and Symptoms and Self-Care forums on this site.

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.

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I think few people know or report this sort of problem

When the problem is reported or answers sort for trauma experienced when coming off a chemical proclaimed to be not addictive the patient is blamed.

Often what results is people are told they are having a relapse, they have an underlying depression , they have a genetic predisposition to depression, they are labeled bipolar well actually you can read it all here What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?  and they are sent home with 'double the dose.' A learned helplessness sets in because getting off the drug is so difficult and the suffering so unbearable, long lasting and inescapable that many resign themselves to being on for life.

 

Please email me your stories

I would just like to tell you that there are over 16,000 stories already here available for public viewing.(checkout the intro threads..threads like mitch and tgirl and blue)...and that number is added to daily as people stumble upon this site seeking answers having lost all trust in their doctors.

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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Ah, the revered BeebBeebCeeb 2!

 

Should do a reasonably balanced presentation of the subject, with a bit of luck.  I have been a viewer for over 60 years.

 

Science/medical programs tend to be done reasonably well compared with other networks, I guess, but everything under the sun is liable to descend into dubious, sensationalist, tabloidism to attract viewers and attention.  A sign of the times and, such is the fare we have to expect to be served up nowadays, as "disgusted of Bexhill-on-Sea's" flood of letters to the editor over the decades have had no impact.  [wink].

 

"The Proms" - an annual summertime, several-week long, classical music concert & discussion event - is the only thing I think I trust almost 100%, now.

Earth Wind & Fire in concert with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra a couple of years ago - couldn't have thought up a better gig myself.

 

I watch a lot of the BBC's other offerings, and I wish them well with the subject in question, which seems to become a more topical concern with every day that passes.

Born 1945. 

1999 - First Effexor/Venlafaxine

2016 Withdrawal research. Effexor.  13Jul - 212.5mg;  6Aug - 200.0mg;  24Aug - 187.5mg;  13Sep - 175.0mg;  3Oct - 162.5mg;  26Oct - 150mg 

2017  9Jan - 150.00mg;  23Mar - 137.50mg;  24Apr - 125.00mg;  31May - 112.50mg holding;  3Sep - 100.00mg;  20Sep - 93.75mg;  20Oct - 87.5mg;  12Nov - 81.25mg;  13 Dec - 75.00mg

2018  18Jan - 69.1mg; 16Feb - 62.5mg; 16March - 57.5mg (-8%); 22Apr - 56.3mg(-2%); CRASHED - Updose 29May - 62.5mg; Updose - 1Jul - 75.0mg. Updose - 2Aug - 87.5mg. Updose - 27Aug - 100.0mg. Updose - 11Oct 112.5mg. Updose - 6Nov 125.00mg

2019 Updoses 19 Jan - 150.0mg. 1April - 162.5mg. 24 April - Feeling better - doing tasks, getting outside.  7 May - usual depression questionnaire gives "probably no depression" result.

Supps/Vits  Omega 3;  Chelated Magnesium;  Prebiotics/Probiotics, Vit D3. 

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At long last!

 

A programme to be our voice......tell our story or should I say drama?

 

Relieved that you are here Lesley.

Dose History: 19 Feb 2014 - Escitalopram 10mg daily June 2015 - Started taper, 5mg every other day July 2015 - 5mg every 2 days August 2015 - 5mg every 3 days September 2015 - 5mg every 4 days Sept 14th - Completed tapering, but at 7 weeks "drug free" I suffered serious WD symptoms as a consequence of "incorrect" tapering. Nov 25 2015 - Re-instated Cipralex @ 2.5mg daily. WD symptoms faded. Held at this dose and experienced "windows and waves". 12 Oct 2017 Reduced dose to 1.25mg. 13 Mar 2018 Reduced dose to 0.625mg (approx.). 16 April 2018 0mg. Windows and waves triggered by stress (IBS/reflux, headaches, sinus issues) Aug 2019 Mirena coil fitted 6 Jan 2020 MAJOR Wave hit 19 months following last dose (protracted WD).  Symptoms listed below Mar 2020 Mirena coil removal.

Therapy: Nov 15th 2016 Re-started therapy Jan 19th 2017 Started CBT Dec 2017 Started listening to Hypnotherapy CD (self-esteem). Nov 2019 Started couples therapy.

Supplements: "Bioglan" Biotic Balance Ultimate Flora 10 billion CFU, live Bacteria, Probiotic, suitable for Vegetarians, with Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Longum"Pukka" Vitalise a unique blend of 30 energising botanicals.

Diet: 16 April 2018 Detox cleanse / anti-candida for 90 days. Jan 2020 Started "small plate" diet (i.e child size portions).

Exercise: Stretching, Yoga, Pilates, Spinning, Elliptical/upper body workout, walking.

Medical Test Results: 4 Jan 2017 Homeopathic Treatment starts 24 Feb 2017 Started weight loss program 24 Mar 2017 Naturopathic Treatment + anti-Candida diet started due to suspected Candida Related Complex (CRC). DETOXED for 7 weeks to "re-set" gut. April 2017 "Genova Diagnostics" Comprehensive Stool Analysis NEGATIVE; Full Blood Count (Normal) / Blood Cholesterol: 5.6 (Borderline) / Blood Sugar (Normal) / 28 Jun 2017 FSH 8.2 / 14 Nov 2017 FSH 17.7 Dec 2017 Blood Cholesterol: 3.9 (Normal) / Kidney Function (Normal) / Blood Sugar (Normal). December 2017 "Genova Diagnostics" Food panel allergy (bloodwork) analysis - a few "VERY LOW/VL" allergens; Mar 2018 "Genova Diagnostics" SIBO urine analysis: High Level of Yeast/fungal markers found in small intestine but NO SIBO.  April 2018 Thyroid (Normal) / Full Blood Count (Normal) / FSH (Normal). 16 April 2018 Started anti-Candida diet - 3 month protocol.   25 March 2020 All test results "Normal". CRP" 5 mg/L (normal range to 0-5 mg/L).

Symptoms:  Flu-like symptoms, anxiety, anhedonia, sinus headaches right-side (severe), IBS issues/reflux (severe)**, tinnitus, fatigue, inner tremor, nausea, chills/hot flushes, pounding heart, muscular issues including stiff left hip flexor, intense anger, PSSD (ongoing).  **Histhamine intolerance (suspected).

Major Life Events: 

Re-located to UK from Canada: Jan 2016

My father died: 5:05pm, Monday 5 Feb 2018 Last Lexapro dose: 16 April 2018 (its now been over a year since I quit ADs)  Moved house: Friday 23rd February 2018  "Divorced" toxic Mother: Monday 26 March 2018 Starting working again: 19 November 2018  Diagnosed with: 5th August 2021 PTSD/C-PTSD Diagnosed with: March 2022 Interstitial Cystitis (IC)/Painful bladder syndrome

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Is this pecificilally withdrawal ? Would you also be interested in hearing from people who have had severe adverse reactions too ?

Started Fluoxetine 40mg In 2010

Switched to citalopram 2011.Fluoxetine made me very drowsy.

Came off citalopram 2014 over 2 weeks tapering as advised by GP. Mild WD symptoms, brain zaps.

Almost 2 years med free, happy and less anxiety.

June 2016 start 20mg citalopram for anxiety, experince akathisa, intrusive harming thoughts, hallucinations, hypermania, negative ruminations, insomnia, no appetite, dioreah, racing thoughts/mind chatter.

Droped to 10mg for 1 week after 10 days on 20mg, then 1 week at 15mg by alternating doses then 1 week at 20mg before dropping to 10mg again for 1 week then 5 days at 5mg. Quick taper due to reaction.

Started .5mg lorozepam/ 2.5mg diazepam every other day from week 2 on cit sometimes daily for about 2 weeks stopped CT as was put on 25mg quetiapine.

Stopped cit 01/8/16. Stopped quetiapine 3/8/16

Taking fish oil

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Dear Lesley,

 

The only thing that will stop the ongoing assault on life and happiness that is caused by psychiatric drugs is publicity. The FDA knows. MHRA knows. Some doctors know. But there is no pressure on them to do anything. And since some people benefit greatly, namely drug makers and prescribers who get patients-for-life from the drugs, and those people are (on the face of it) more credible than former patients, there is pressure on them to do nothing.

If a car is known to have a design flaw that makes it crash, catch fire, or explode, no matter how rarely, the problem has to be fixed. It's understood that people don't deliberately crash their cars.

 

When a psych drug is known to cause suicide, mania, psychosis, or violence, warnings are added to the labeling. There's no recall. No redesign. It is believed that the problem is in the patient. Maybe it is, in some patients. But not in most of us. If someone says "I am not suicidal and never had been before I took this drug, and three days after starting it, I tried to hang myself," that person should be believed. I think a lot of people want to believe them, but are swayed by the loudest experts, who happen to be wrong. At any given time, there are only a tiny number of these experts. At present, in the US, it's Jeffrey Lieberman, who said, during an "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit last year:


Psychiatry has the dubious distinction of being the only medical specialty with an anti movement. you never hear of an anti dermotology movement or anti cardiology movement. [because they're not full of mind-controlling drug prescribers? Any by the way, Accutane has an anti-accutane movement; it causes psychosis. Statins have an anti-statins movement; they cause memory defecit, severe depression, physical weakness, and pain.] 

 

Apart from scientologists, the majority of these people including Robert Whitaker, have unfounded idealogical grudges against psychiatry [False. Whitaker's investigation of Lieberman's cruel experimentation on first episode psychosis patients, to whom he gave speed in order to see how much worse it made them, is what got Whitaker interested]

 

...or have had bad personal experiences. [Yer dern'd right about that, sonny.]

 

Unfortunately it's also the case that some people with severe mental illness and don't believe that they are ill criticize psychiatry because to do otherwise would be to acknowledge their infirmity. [Maybe, but more people without serious mental illness criticize it, and people who do acknowledge their "infirmities" criticize it. Being diagnosed with a serious mental illness doesn't mean someone is stupid or illogical, and if they are illogical at times, that does mean they are always illogical. Such people can read, and can read the medical literature that informs and supports what they have to say.]
 

and 

 

In virtually all cases the perpetrators who were uniformly young men had a severe mental disorder and were not receiving treatment. [False. The only exception I know of was Jared Loughner. He used recreational drugs.] So in my opinion, the key factor which permitted these disasters was the lack of treatment that was available but not administered for whatever reasons to these 

individuals. In this regard, the notion that SSRI's being a causal factor is completely inaccurate. First because most of these people were not receiving medications and were impelled by their symptoms and even if they were receiving an SSRI this does not motivate violent behavior. [False! It's on the warnings that come with the drugs for a reason.]
 

As long as he is the most-consulted expert in the US, people won't be safe. The incredibly harmful falsehood about school and mall-shooters being untreated mentally ill people was used to promote a terrible mental health bill called SR2646 (aka the Murphy bill), which is now just one voting session away from passing the senate. Lieberman testified and also advised Senator Tim Murphy. Of the hundreds of representatives in the House of Representatives, only two voted against it. I was wondering whereby Murphy came to believe that and write it in "one-pager" PDF on murphy.house.gov. It could have come from Lieberman. (At what point does someone sue Lieberman for these false public pronouncements? He intends to influence people, to cause them to decide in favor of drugs. Someone who did so and was harmed should take him to task.)

 

Many of us have written letters to doctors, reporters, the FDA/MHRA, and drug companies and made it very clear how badly harmed we were, or are. It hasn't made a difference. If the media were relentless on this issue, treating it the same way they treat pedophilia, cigarette smoking, and defective automobiles, the status quo might finally be seen for what it is: wrong, and unacceptable. 

What would it take to sway writers, magazine and newspaper editors, and video producers? Do you think they could all be "come onboard" (as they already have regarding pedophiles, for example) in the next ... 5 years? 

2009: Cancer hospital said I had adjustment disorder because I thought they were doing it wrong. Their headshrinker prescribed Effexor, and my life set on a new course. I didn't know what was ahead, like a passenger on Disneyland's Matterhorn, smiling and waving as it climbs...clink, clink, clink.

2010: Post surgical accidental Effexor discontinuation by nurses, masked by intravenous Dilaudid. (The car is balanced at the top of the track.) I get home, pop a Vicodin, and ...

Whooosh...down, down, down, down, down...goes the trajectory of my life, up goes my mood and tendency to think everything is a good idea.
2012: After the bipolar jig was up, now a walking bag of unrelated symptoms, I went crazy on Daytrana (the Ritalin skin patch by Noven), because ADHD was a perfect fit for a bag of unrelated symptoms. I was prescribed Effexor for the nervousness of it, and things got neurological. An EEG showed enough activity to warrant an epilepsy diagnosis rather than non-epileptic ("psychogenic") seizures.

:o 2013-2014: Quit everything and got worse. I probably went through DAWS: dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome. I drank to not feel, but I felt a lot: dread, fear, regret, grief: an utter sense of total loss of everything worth breathing about, for almost two years.

I was not suicidal but I wanted to be dead, at least dead to the experience of my own brain and body.

2015: I  began to recover after adding virgin coconut oil and organic grass-fed fed butter to a cup of instant coffee in the morning.

I did it hoping for mental acuity and better memory. After ten days of that, I was much better, mood-wise. Approximately neutral.

And, I experienced drowsiness. I could sleep. Not exactly happy, I did 30 days on Wellbutrin, because it had done me no harm in the past. 

I don't have the DAWS mood or state of mind. It never feel like doing anything if it means standing up.

In fact, I don't especially like moving. I'm a brain with a beanbag body.   :unsure:

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  • Administrator

I believe Lesley would like to interview people personally. Please contact her if you would like to do this.

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.

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WC these companies have many investors they take their cut.... we don't know who they may be it is not just the pharma owners top brass workers ect... investors... surely they see something of this conflict still they invest it is a money making proposition.  Publicity may cause some to pull out their bucks we could hope... not sure how much difference it would make at this point.

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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