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DaveWales: Paroxetine withdrawal and discontinuation syndrome


DaveWales

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7 hours ago, DaveWales said:

Any help would be appreciated, especially stories of people who have suffered such a thing so far into their taper and still managed to make it back to some sort of meaningful normal existence. 

 

Hi DaveWales,

I had some horrid symptoms before I even knew I was in WD from one medication or the other.  So I mean, in retrospect, looking back in my own history before I'd even arrived here, or was very educated about tapering and WD.  Some tough stuff too.....after I arrived here, at survivingantidepressants too, when finally tapering off the last of my medications.

 

And yes, I have managed to make it back to a really great place, as far as meaningful existences' go.

 

It does get better, and we do heal from this stuff.  It does.  We do.

 

((((((Dave))))))

those are your hugs, AND butterfly wings too.

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

manymoretodays(mmt)

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus
4 hours ago, DaveWales said:

I didn't no Alto, but when I tried to swap to the paroxetine liquid I found it too hard and was easier to stick with the pills and measuring cutting them with a gemini scale. I really don't want to change anything else at the moment as I think it could risk an upset for my system. As I reacted when I updosed even 0.1 mg I am thinking creatively about ways to get paroxetine back in my system in a non reacting manner.

 

One way I thought was to have a dose every 22 hours then every 12 days I get an extra 7.5 in my system bringing the average up to over 8. Or, as I have my pill at night before bed maybe adding the smallest increment 1mgpw extra in the morning as some of the night befores would be out of my system. I could then add mega slowly and try and not increase total paroxetine load but increase the average. Any thoughts Alto? Many thanks. 

 

(just quoting this one too, so Alto can respond,  I don't want your reply to Alto to get lost in the shuffle of posts and pages.)

Edited by manymoretodays

Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks.

Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988.  In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm.

Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time).

5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014)

12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs.  My last psycho med ever!  Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to

2016 Dec 16 medication free!!

Longer signature post here, with current supplements.

Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016.  And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed.  Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022.  Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜

None of my posts are intended as medical advice.  Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider.  My success story:  Blue skies ahead, clear sailing

 

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@manymoretodays thanks so much for your kind words. In a previous life( it feels like now) I was a professional rock and ice climber and I know what it's like to hang on by the skin of your fingers or millimeters of an ice pick in crumbling ice, but never like this for so long. 

 

I wish you well on your journey mmd. 

 

Dave x

Intro - 

  • On Paroxetine (Paxil / Seroxat) 20mg since 1999 (age 18). Tapered off over 8 weeks on Dr's advice 2016 - Crashed massively (acute withdrawal) September '16 and reinstated on doc's advice. Found this site and started getting real answers! Currently doing a very slow withdrawal. 

 

Taper progress - 

  • September '16 - 40mg / December'16 - 30mg / Feb '17 - 20 mg / March '17 - 18mg / April '17 - 15mg - became paranoid / May '17-  upped dose to 20mg (kindled - developed chemical sensitivities and neuropathy in legs). 2 month hold. July '17 - 19.5mg / Aug'17 - 18.5mgSept '17 - 17.5mg / October '17 - 17mg / Nov '17 - 16mg / Dec '17 - 15.5mg / Jan '18 - hold / Feb '18 - 14.5mg / April '18 - 13mg / June '18 - 11.5mg / Aug '18 - 10mg (half way hold of approx 2 months) / Nov '18 - 9mg / Dec '18 - 8mg. (tapering too fast, having anxiety / paranoia, so having a 6 week extra hold) / April 19 - still holding at approx 7.5mg

 

Points of interest - 

  • Average seroxat 20mg pill weights 0.355g 
  • Using AWS Gemini 20 scales (seem reasonable for about £20)
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  • Administrator
22 hours ago, DaveWales said:

One way I thought was to have a dose every 22 hours then every 12 days I get an extra 7.5 in my system bringing the average up to over 8. Or, as I have my pill at night before bed maybe adding the smallest increment 1mgpw extra in the morning as some of the night befores would be out of my system. I could then add mega slowly and try and not increase total paroxetine load but increase the average. Any thoughts Alto? Many thanks. 

 

I don't know, Dave. If I were you, I'd phone Dr. Healy and discuss switching to Prozac. Please let us know what he says.

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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51 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

 

I don't know, Dave. If I were you, I'd phone Dr. Healy and discuss switching to Prozac. Please let us know what he says.

OK, I will contact him and get his advice, and report back. Many thanks for your help. Dave

Intro - 

  • On Paroxetine (Paxil / Seroxat) 20mg since 1999 (age 18). Tapered off over 8 weeks on Dr's advice 2016 - Crashed massively (acute withdrawal) September '16 and reinstated on doc's advice. Found this site and started getting real answers! Currently doing a very slow withdrawal. 

 

Taper progress - 

  • September '16 - 40mg / December'16 - 30mg / Feb '17 - 20 mg / March '17 - 18mg / April '17 - 15mg - became paranoid / May '17-  upped dose to 20mg (kindled - developed chemical sensitivities and neuropathy in legs). 2 month hold. July '17 - 19.5mg / Aug'17 - 18.5mgSept '17 - 17.5mg / October '17 - 17mg / Nov '17 - 16mg / Dec '17 - 15.5mg / Jan '18 - hold / Feb '18 - 14.5mg / April '18 - 13mg / June '18 - 11.5mg / Aug '18 - 10mg (half way hold of approx 2 months) / Nov '18 - 9mg / Dec '18 - 8mg. (tapering too fast, having anxiety / paranoia, so having a 6 week extra hold) / April 19 - still holding at approx 7.5mg

 

Points of interest - 

  • Average seroxat 20mg pill weights 0.355g 
  • Using AWS Gemini 20 scales (seem reasonable for about £20)
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Hi Dave, I’m in the same situation as you. 

Also at about 7mg, and using a scale, I take 3.5 off my pills. 

 

And im also struggling with the ocd too, something I never really had before. 

 

It it seems to come and go for me, and it is so scary I hope it’s just wd and will let up eventually. 

 

Take care, and keep us posted on how you are doing. 

 

*Currently at 8.2-8.5 mg of my 10mg pill of Paxil (they actually weigh 12.5mg) 

january 2023 I began reducing my med again. I was a 9mg weight for years, I went to 8.9 in January, went to 8.6mg in February, and in March 2023 I went down to 8.5-8.2 mg ( my scale varies, so I stick within that .3 range because of that) 

*No other supplements or vitamins 

*Taper schedule in the pdf 

Blank.pdf

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-5vShtJtwAOGA30OxIP87steLmMdFzD29F0fzAPD564

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hope your doing ok Dave lately .

I wanted to check in .

Take care.

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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Hey Dave , I’m no admin , but have had a read over what you’ve gone through . I’m sorry for you troubles. 

 

I just wanted to say that some of us have a hard time with the 10% method . 

 

I cant do it . I crash every time. But I’ve successfully tapered from 45mg to 22mg living my life pretty much fully by going slowly . As in 5% max every 4 weeks (using the brassmonkey slide method) always followed by a hold of a few weeks. Sometimes if I’m feeling not quite right , I stop , and hold . 

 

Obviously this method of tapering will take a lot longer than the standard 10% method to become drug free , but it’s so much better than pushing your body to a point where it can’t handle it. 

 

I see it like this - you can either go faster and TRY to get off the drug quickly and likely endure hell. OR you can go very slowly , taking a few years more to become drug free , but maintaining functionality throughout. To me it’s a no brainer , but I think we all get caught up with this idea of rushing. 

 

I know this isn’t too relevant to how you feel right now , as your experiencing some WD symptoms, but more just something to consider in the future . 

Whatever you decide to do now , I hope it goes well for you mate.

 

cheers , Nick . 

 

 

Started Citalopram in 2005 (aged 15) for apparent "OCD" - 60mg 

July 2015 attempted 2 x 10% + cuts 4 weeks apart. WD symptoms intense at times. Need to slow down.

 

November 2016 - Resumed taper. 1.25 - 1.5% decrease weekly approx.

44.5mg November 2016. Jan 2017 42.5 mg. March 2017 40 mg. June 2017 37mg. September 2018 22mg. Nov 2018 Holding at 22mg to stabilise from moderate wave. January 2020 - Holding, mostly feeling fine, but still having some waves at times. 

 

February 2020 - Resumed taper , 1.5% reduction weekly/every two weeks. 

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  • 5 months later...

Hello guys, I was wondering if anyone had experienced the thing that I did back in April. Basically, i was still in withdrawal after dropping to 7.5mg, but messed up had some drinks on my birthday and a stressful event happened. A few nights later i felt a "vibration" of my nerves although my body. I believe what I felt was apoptosis or cell death. I have felt nothing like this at any point in withdrawal, not even the initial rapid removal in 2016. I wonder if it was nmda receptors that could have died. I have had a very hard time the last 8 months and wonder if anyone else has experienced this. I dont mean "brain zaps" and all that low level stuff. I felt a while body nervous event, only once,  but think it may have done some serious damage. I believe my brain is adapting to some of the symptoms through neuro plasticity, but from what I read nmda receptors dont regrow. Any help or advice, or experience would be appreciated. 

Intro - 

  • On Paroxetine (Paxil / Seroxat) 20mg since 1999 (age 18). Tapered off over 8 weeks on Dr's advice 2016 - Crashed massively (acute withdrawal) September '16 and reinstated on doc's advice. Found this site and started getting real answers! Currently doing a very slow withdrawal. 

 

Taper progress - 

  • September '16 - 40mg / December'16 - 30mg / Feb '17 - 20 mg / March '17 - 18mg / April '17 - 15mg - became paranoid / May '17-  upped dose to 20mg (kindled - developed chemical sensitivities and neuropathy in legs). 2 month hold. July '17 - 19.5mg / Aug'17 - 18.5mgSept '17 - 17.5mg / October '17 - 17mg / Nov '17 - 16mg / Dec '17 - 15.5mg / Jan '18 - hold / Feb '18 - 14.5mg / April '18 - 13mg / June '18 - 11.5mg / Aug '18 - 10mg (half way hold of approx 2 months) / Nov '18 - 9mg / Dec '18 - 8mg. (tapering too fast, having anxiety / paranoia, so having a 6 week extra hold) / April 19 - still holding at approx 7.5mg

 

Points of interest - 

  • Average seroxat 20mg pill weights 0.355g 
  • Using AWS Gemini 20 scales (seem reasonable for about £20)
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  • 2 years later...

hello dave, how are you today. have your anxiety levels decreased?

 

Edited by ChessieCat
reformatted text

March 2020 - 15 mg mirtazapine

May 2020 - 10 mg escitalopram , mirtazapine 15 mg

June 2020 - 10 mg escitalopram / 7.5 mg mirtazapine 

mid-July - 5 mg escitalopram / 15 mg mirtazapine

Aug, 2020 - 1.5 mg escitalopram  / 15 mg mirtazapine

Jan, 2021 - 0.95 mg escitalopram / 15 mg mirtazapine 

Feb 25, 2021 - 0.90 mg escitalopram / 15 mg mirtazapine >>> Crash! - Start with 150 mg opipramol (50-50-50)

Jan, 2022 - 0.78 mg escitalopram / 15 mg mirtazapine / 112 mg opipramol 

...

01/2024  0.62 mg escitalopram /  11,85 mg mirtazapine / 80 mg opipramol

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