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Vitamin B12 aka cobalamin: Essential for mood, nervous system


Altostrata

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Hi A-mom, If you are not able to absorb oral B12 adequately, I wonder iff that could point towards a wider gut problem. I haven't read this whole thread, so pls forgive me if I am out of place.

1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms.

Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12

Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13

Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15

11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble)

9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol

7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol

56 years old

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  • 3 weeks later...

I just wanted to post an observation: Since I started taking b12, my racing thoughts have gotten much, much better.

Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional

Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. 

After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. 

June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells

September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. 

 

Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn

 

Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland:

https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg

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Good to hear, Laura. How much are you taking?

 

Some people find B12 to be calming.

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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Hi Alto,

 

I bought 25 micrograms tablets. On the box it says 'take one to 5 tablets daily, so I'm taking them as needed and trying to stay below the 125 micrograms.

 

It works quite well so far.

 

Best, Nora

Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional

Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. 

After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. 

June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells

September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. 

 

Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn

 

Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland:

https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg

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  • 7 months later...

I have B12 Deficiency. I took two times (sublingual form) and I suffered from tachycardia immidiately. What Can I do?

4 times on SSRI'S in the past, I have never had such serious problems.

Septemper 2013-November 2013: Paxil (60mg)

After discontinuation (cold turkey):anhedonia, severe emotional anesthisia, severe PSSD.

 

xanax: daily use for 4.5 years at doses 0.5 mg -1.5mg.       taper september 2014 from 1.5mg.  

current dose: 0.87,5 mg.(8AM, 2PM, 8PM, 00-01AM)

 

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I have B12 Deficiency. I took two times (sublingual form) and I suffered from tachycardia immidiately. What Can I do?

 

What was the dose? I went to the supplement store last night and couldn't believe that all of their B12 supplements had a ridiculous amount of the Recommended Daily Value. The lowest one still had over 8,000% So I bought a kid's B complex vitamin which I'm thinking of returning anyway. Maybe you have to slowly work your way up? Also try and eat more foods high in B12 like meat, fish, fortified cereal, etc.

a.k.a JMarie

Paxil since Mar.1998

2006-2007:40-20mg
2009: 20mg to 14mg 2010: 14mg to 10.5mg 2011: 10.5 to 7.6mg  2012: 7.5 to 6.8mg

2013: 6.7-6.3mg 2014: 6.2mg-5.8mg 2015: 5.7 to 5.15mg 2016: 5.1-4.6mg

1/19/17: 4.5mg 3/17/17: 4.4mg

6/15/17: 4.35mg 8/10/17: 4.3mg

1/29/18: 4.1mg 5/07/18: 4.0mg

7/31/18: 3.9mg

 

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I take maalox and esomeprazole. Do they  block B12 vitamin adsorbtion?

On Cypralex from June 2012 to October 2012, then I quit almost cold turkey.

First symptoms: dizziness, brain zaps, sever mental confusion. After almost a year my condition was acceptable but I still had symptoms.

Having mild symptoms until now (intermittent confusion and sleep disorders).

 

My favorite citation: «There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy» ~ Friedrich Nietzsche 

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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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  • 5 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

How to take B12

 

There are three ways to take B12: Through shots, sublingual (under the tongue) tablets, or regular tablets. The shots and sublingual tablets are most effective.

 

Another option: transdermal gels.  I had a prescription for this in 2014 from a naturopath, whose specialty is mental wellness. It was a combo of B12 & folate.  It came in a syringe; I squeezed out a specified amount into the thin skin at inner crease of my elbow and rubbed it in.  It was effective -- lab tests after 2 months showed that my B12 serum levels doubled.

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, where did you get this gel?

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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Just a glance at the synopses in the results for googling 'transdermal b12' revealed some interesting stuff: a neat (but older) study:

 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140903151625-209684125-a-case-for-transdermal-delivery-of-mehtyvcobalamin-b-12

 

Diagrams! Not just the study! (It's at the end). And the rationale for using methylcobalamin instead of the cyanide molecule formulations...... and apparently transdermal is the bees knees at getting your levels up.

 

A website where someone talks about a Mercola 'make your own' recipe (is DMSO any good for you?)

 

And adding 'swanson' to the query says 'Yep, we gotcha covered".

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.

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I brought some vitamin B12 today. Thanks for the tip on starting small, I probably have previously had issue with it because of a full dose straight up.

 

Are most vitamin tablets safe to cut? I know that my doctors always warned of cutting tablets as I couldnt know how much filler was in it, so the dosage could not be controlled.

 

I am not in a position to trial expensive vitamins.

Currently on 50mg Fluvoxamine. Reading more before the next attempt at tapering.

 

Started Lexapro 04, have been mostly on med combinations since for 12 years.

May 2015 - zeldox 80 - 100mg, fluvoxamine 200mg, dexamphetamine 10mg

Lorazepam and clonazepam on and off for over a decade. Heavily sedated with antipsychotics - mostly Zyprexa and seroquel. Many hospitalisations. Many types of therapy, last being 7 years of psychodynamic that only figured out my pain was real.

Pain meds - Lyrica 150mg palexia 100mg - discontinued eary 2016

Done ok so far but cant drop the last antidepressant without physical illness.

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hi Altostrata, it was with a prescription from a naturopath from a compounding pharmacy, Smiths Pharmacy in Toronto.

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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  • 2 months later...
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Early in withdrawal, B12 injections (hydroxocobalamin) helped me a lot. According to blood tests, I had always been low in B12, and taking Zantac for years (unnecessarily) probably severely depleted my B12. When I went off Paxil in 2004, my nervous system may have been missing an important pillar of health.

 

I started getting regular B12 shots about a year into severe withdrawal symptom. They gave me a pleasantly warm, tingly feeling.

 

About 4 years into withdrawal syndrome, various things happened and I lost the ability to sleep. A sleep specialist told me the B12 shots might be affecting my sleep and advised me to stop them. (B12 is stored in the liver. Theoretically, by that time I had stored enough to last me for several years.)

 

I still took a multivitamin containing some B vitamins, but discontinued that perhaps 4 years ago because I thought it might be causing problems. (I started eating a lot more greens.)

 

So I haven't had any B vitamin supplements for several years. By blood test, my B12 is very low. My current doctor has encouraged me to supplement B12, but every time I tried, I found it to be too activating.

 

I have these tiny tablets of 500mcg sublingual cyanocobalamin (the only kind I could find in a low dosage sublingual tablet). My doctor expressed concern again about my low B12, so I decided to try and ramp up on it.

 

I started with a very tiny crumb of my 500mcg tablet. It took a couple of months of very gradual increase to get to half a tablet. I've been able to increase faster over about a month to get to a whole tablet. I am now taking the 500mcg with no problems, and am going to gradually increase to 1000mcg sublingual, the recommended daily dosage.

 

My sleep has improved.

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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  • 1 month later...

How do you counteract a reaction to b12?

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. Tapered off final cocktail 2013-2019. For Hashimotos and high blood pressure I take Levothyroxine. Liothyronine. Spironolactone. Hydrochlorothiazide. Losartan. B12 hydroxy. Fish oil w/D3. Bee pollen. Magnesium Glycinate.

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  • 1 year later...

 @Altostrata  you said I don't remember where in SA (please remind me where) you wrote that when anybody is going to start to taper any psychiatric drug, that supplementing daily with vitamin b12 and folate strengthens and prepares the nervous system. But can you please tell me how much of vitamin b12 and how much of folate should I take daily in supplements? Thank you so much

In 2008 I was 16 years old. 2008 - 2010 paxil, clonazepam & semisodium valproate. 2013 - 2017 many psych meds with cold switches and CT's prescribed by psychiatrists.

Nov/30/17 started quetiapine IR tablets 100mg 0-0-1. Dec/1/17 started pristiq 50mg tablets 1-0-0. Jan/14/18 started 1.5mg melatonin 0-0-1

Tramadol: 2 year well done (slow and gradual) taper: from Mar/12/18 to Feb/11/20 

Pristiq taper: Jun/15/20 Converted from pristiq 50mg to efexor xr 75mg for 57 days (felt good).  Aug/11/20 weaned to efexor 37.5mg and stayed there for 2 months with 26 days (felt good). Nov/6/20  CT 0mg of efexor xr (felt good). Total time in tapering pristiq 50mg by converting to efexor xr 75mg: 4 months with 22 days: Jun/15/20 to Nov/6/20. (felt good)

Efexor 0mg and quetiapine 100mg (Nov/6/20 to Dic/11/20) (felt good being without effexor and taking 100mg quetiapine)

Dic/11/20 quetiapine 75mg, so 75mg from Dic/11/20 to Jan/4/21  25 days. Jan/5/21 quetiapine 50mg (1 day in 50mg).

Jan/6/21 1st CT of quetiapine. Mar/1/21 CT melatonin. Felt terrible so Mar/25/21 reinstated 100mg quetiapine. 

100mg quetiapine 19 days (Mar/25/21 - Apr/13/21) Felt good while in quetiapine 100mg. 75mg quetiapine 55 days (Apr/14/21 - Jun/8/21) the 55th day (Jun/8/21)  felt hellish so CT'd quetiapine for a 2nd time on Jun/9/21. 

Jun/9/21 - Nov/16/21 1st days insomnia, anxiety, took cbd and felt very good many days (healed insomnia & anxiety), CT'd ginkgo which made me felt terrible so reinstated ginkgo. Started intolerable back pain (spasm) so tried other herbs along with cbd, then started derealization, panic, indecisiveness, nostalgia & others. Stopped taking cbd & herbs, reinstated quetiapine 75mg Nov/17/21, immediately after taking it, had severe heart palpitations, so Nov/18/21 back to cbd (no quetiapine). Nov/20/21 reinstated 75mg quetiapine (stopped cbd & herbs), severely couldn't breathe for 5 seconds after taking quetiapine 75mg so reduced to 50 mg on Nov/28/21 had new and worse and very severe adverse effects, got indecisive if CT or keep taking quetiapine because I was terrified of CT, but since the new severe adverse effects were very severe I CT, and because of indecisiveness and panic to CT, I reinstated again, then CT'd and reinstated many times, last time I was taking quetiapine it was 25mg and had severe TD, hellish anhedonia, suicidal, intrusive thoughts of imagining myself running into a wall and crashing into it and I was feeling the pain as if I was doing it in real life, involuntary thoughts of punching my face or head and shashing it against the wall and some times I did punch my face, and when I didn't, I also felt the pain just by imagining it, so definitive CT on Jul/15/22. 

Free from quetiapine and psych meds since Jul/15/22.

MY BEST ADVICE: FOLLOW SA'S GUIDELINES, DON'T CT BECAUSE IT IS HORRIFIC AND BE PATIENT TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO DO VERY SLOW AND GRADUAL TAPERS IN ORDER TO GET OFF OF YOUR MEDICATIONS, IT IS WORTH IT. THE ONLY MOMENTS WHERE IS RIGHT TO CT IS AFTER YOUR 1ST CT THAT YOU DID BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OR IMPATIENCE, IF YOU REINSTATE AND FEEL SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS LIKE TD, ANHEDONIA, FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DROWNING, OR THE ONE'S I HAD, IT IS BEST TO CT IN MY EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE WHEN I REINSTATED I GOT MUCH WORSE THAN WHEN I WAS IN THE PREVIOUS CT. I'm not a doctor.

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On 6/8/2011 at 9:53 AM, Altostrata said:

I have info about b12, will post shortly. It helped me.

 

B12 is absorbed poorly. Generally, people take 1,000 mcg a day in a tablet to absorb even a few mcg.

 

I believe you're supposed to put the drops under your tongue, B12 is absorbed better that way.

 

Some people with withdrawal syndrome find B12 to be over-stimulating, so be careful.

 

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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  • 2 months later...

https://www.neurotalk.org/vitamins-nutrients-herbs-and-supplements/96327-b12-symptoms-wax-wane.html

 

Now I have been suspecting a B12 deficiency for a while now because the symptoms of our withdrawals seem very much like the ones you get from a B12 deficiency. So my theory here is that something in our gut gets unbalanced (lots of NEW food allergies from what I can tell in this forum) and that the people that have continous problems with ssri withdrawal MIGHT have had an B12 deficiency to start with and that it got worse after the ssri.

 

Thoughts?

Started Sertralin the spring of -13 and got up to 150 mgs (which was a mistake by my GP)

Decided to taper it form 150 mgs in sep -13 by reducing the dosage by 12.5 mgs every other week.

Got off Sertraline in Feb -14 and started noticing withdrawal after about 15 days off the meds.

Still experiencing withdrawal after 2 years and 5 months off the medicine.

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  • 1 month later...

Do you think that 100 mcg per day is enough? I bought a pack of 50 mcg sublingual tablets, the recommended dose is two tablets a day. 

November 2014 - September 2015: Zoloft 50 mg, Trilafon 4mg, clonazepam 1mg
October 2015 - September 2016: Effexor 75 mg
September 2016 - January 2017: Effexor 150 mg
Stopped Effexor in March 2017 after tapering under medical supervision
The doctor I've now found is an expert in withdrawal from ADs
Persistent withdrawal syndrome since July 2017: Prozac 10 mg, clonazepam 0.5 mg, to cope with it.
December 2017 -  withdrawing from Prozac, 10 mg every 2 days
Drug free since January (?) 2018
 
Symptoms: pins and needles, burning skin sensations, PSSD, OCD, mood swings (a lot), malaise (a lot), muscle spasms, voice in my conscience. 

Doing not so bad, but I want to be the person I was. 
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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Vitamin B12 - essential for mood, nervous system

@littleball

 

I don't know how much, sorry. I don't take it because I'm fairly confident of my dietary intake.

 

I did some reading on B12 a while back and I think it looks like a fairly big issue across the population. The gist of it was... we are encouraged to eat fewer foods of animal origin (due to a fear of saturated fat, which now looks to be actually somewhere between "benign" and "no longer a nutrient of concern", so go figure) and more foods of plant origin. As B12 really occurs only in animal foods, many people now have an inadequate dietary intake and are deficient. :( To further complicate things, there is a plant based supplement that is really a pseudo B12, that is - it looks like B12, but the body cannot use it. A bunch of people feel better when they go vegetarian, perhaps because their diets were truly awful beforehand, but I recall years ago a doctor telling me that most people can only stick out for a year or so before the health problems became too much of an issue and they have to give it up. I see a similar pattern now. It might not only be B12 of course, for a vegetarian complete protein becomes more of a complicated issue, as does iron.

 

It is also interesting to me that as our dietary guidelines have suggested less meat and more grains, our mental health (society wide, not *us* in particular!) has worsened.

 

For *me* I started to feel *much* better once I increased my meat intake enough to give me good iron levels, so my protein and B12 necessarily increased as well. Fat too, and our brains are mostly fat (60%? I don't recall specifically, but it is a significant amount). I'm talking good quality meat here - here in Australia our meat is predominantly grass fed and good quality, so we are lucky. I also notice an improvement in my mood if I eat plenty of animal fats. In fact, if I start to feel low, I have a few days where I focus on eating extra natural fats! I'll add cream to my coffee etc.

 

To add to that, I posted a study in the journals article a while back, that talked about an increase in depression with vegetarian diets, suggesting at least that withdrawal may not be the best time to experiment with vegetarianism!

 

From all that I take - we are omnivores! Actually, I saw a post/something recently by a doctor that suggested that humans are actually animals who are "obligate carnivores" who opportunistically also eat plants. That actually made a lot of sense to me, given how crucial certain nutrients - B12, iron etc - are, and how they are effectively only found in animal foods. There is some iron in some plant foods, for example, but (a) not much and (b) our bodies aren't great at extracting that - it is less bioavailable than iron in animal foods.

 

If SSRIs affect serotonin, and if the bulk of the body's serotonin is found in the gut, it makes sense that the balance in the gut may be thrown off by taking these drugs. How that translates, in practical terms, I don't know. Sadly, I don't think anyone knows because this sort of thing is never researched. It's frustrating. Still, ongoing weight gain over time is a common pattern with SSRIs, so *something* is happening.

 

We're all different, of course. We all absorb nutrients at different levels. I used to know a young woman whose iron levels were toxically high and she had to donate blood twice a year to be safe; simultaneously I was popping iron tablets as I was so iron deficient! If only we could have split the difference!!

 

Food for thought!

2005 St John's Wort / 2006-2012 Lexapro 20mg, 2 failed attempts to stop, tapered over 4.5 months in early 2012

January 2013 started Sertraline, over time worked up to 100mg

July 2014 Sertraline dropped from 100mg to 75mg, held for six months, slower tapering until 2019 22 Dec 3.2mg

2020 Sertraline 19 Jan 3.1mg, 26 Jan 3.0mg; 1 Mar 2.9, 7 Mar 2.8, May (some drops here) 24 May 2.5, May 29 2.4, June 21 2.3, June 28 2.2mg,  July 4 2.1mg, July 24 (or maybe a bit before) 2mg, early Nov switched to home made suspension; 29 Nov 1.8mg; approx 25 Dec 1.6mg)

2021 Some time in about Jan/Feb realised probably on more like 1.8mg and poss mixing error in making suspension; doses after 10 Feb accurate; 10 Feb 1.6mg; 7 Mar 1.4, continued monthly

10% drops until 1mg, then dropped 0.1mg monthly.

May 2022,0.1mg, now dropping 0.01mg per week

29 August 2022 - first day of zero!

My thread here at SA: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1775-bubbles/page/21/

Current: Armour Thyroid

 

 

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Do you know that certain strains of probiotics can upgrade B12 production.  For example, Lactobacillus Reuteri CRL1098 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12949118), a strain of L. reuteri isolated from sourdough and propionibacterium freudenreichii (see www.wincloveprobiotics.com/science-centre-projects-innovation/propionibacterium-freudenreichii-w200-upgraded-vitamin-b12-levels). Not sure is they are commercially available yet.  I have emailed winclove to see.

In Jan 2011 started Lexapro 10 mg after 10 minutes consultation with doctor telling him I felt anxious in confined spaces and had an anxiety attack on plane and underground. Remained on that dosage until Sept 2014. Tapered following a doctor's schedule on 2.5 mg drops every three weeks. Once stopped I developed severe withdrawals. Three weeks of Prozac beginning of Oct 2014 but had adverse reaction and stopped CT. Protracted withdrawals since. Supp now - magnesium, fish oil, turmeric, vit D, melatonin (but recently it's made me depressed), castus vitex capsule with ginger, Withania, Vit E, zinc, Lutein for PMS.
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I've been feeling pretty terrible most of this year, with worsening symptoms that I put down to withdrawal, and then later to having three colds in a row.  Severe fatigue, brain fog, difficulty focusing, memory problems, constipation, mild physical anxiety, palpitations & skipped heartbeats.  Basically I felt exhausted all the time, with a feeling like a large mouse was wriggling around in my chest.  At times I felt faint or dizzy, or short of breath.  My immunity was obviously terrible, catching cold after cold. 

 

I somehow managed to work, but when not working, I crashed out on my bed. Sometimes I couldn't even find the energy to read a book or watch TV.  Sometimes I was able to nap, but other times I just lay there, too exhausted to do anything.  Some days, pretty much all I managed to do in a day was drag myself out of bed, have a shower and get dressed (then lie back down on my bed because doing all that exhausted me).  

 

I started to suspect vitamin B12 deficiency - Dr. Google showed me symptoms that matched mine - and so I went to my GP asking to be tested.  He sent me for a bunch of the usual blood tests, which all came back showing in normal range!  My GP said that some people who test normal feel better with a vitamin B12 injection.  I was tossing up whether to get the injection (as a steroid injection derailed my paroxetine taper in 2016, so I was wary of any injections) but in the end I decided to go ahead and try it.  Within a few hours I felt more energy and my head felt clearer.

 

It's been two weeks since the injection.  I feel that my fatigue has improved about 60%, brain fog and focus about 70%, anxiety about 90%, palpitations about 95%.  I've been waking up in the morning without morning anxiety.  I've been waking up before my alarm sometimes, and can get up out of bed with a lot less difficulty.  I'm now considering a repeat injection, or adding a sublingual supplement.

 

Even though my test result showed a "normal" level of vitamin B12, my response to the injection suggests I may have had a deficiency.  I suspect the test might be measuring inactive forms of vitamin B12 giving a false picture.

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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Sublingual(under the tongue) B12 has always worked for me.........as a calmer.  It's never gone paradoxical on me.  It's not liquid but it dissolves quickly.  I take it at bedtime.  I tried some in the day and it made me tired.......maybe just too, too calm........so I just use it at bedtime.  I do carry a few tablets with me though.......in case I get feeling stressed when out or something.

 

I did do B12 intravenously way back with a burst of Vitamin C.  Same deal.........really calming for me.  I can't say it made me feel particularly energetic.......just mellow.

 

When I've done B vitamins mixed though........that's when I've gotten wiggy........racing thoughts, over stimulation, etc.   B6???  Niacin??  Not sure.  I just waited it out when I got overstimulated from it.  That reaction was gone in less than 24 hours for me.  I think you pretty much just "pee out" any excess not absorbed pretty quickly too........pardon my wording.  If you take the mixed B vitamin preparations you will see a more yellow/orange cast to your urine output.

 

Pleased to announce that I now have the methyl cobalamin type  1,000mcg.  As opposed to the cyano cobalamin 500mcg.

Cyano just didn't sound good.

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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On 8/1/2018 at 12:40 PM, manymoretodays said:

Pleased to announce that I now have the methyl cobalamin type  1,000mcg.  As opposed to the cyano cobalamin 500mcg.

Cyano just didn't sound good.

 

I know what you mean. For me it was horrible when I tried to take the cyano one, or the B complex (the B complex pill has the B12 as cyanocobalamin). The anxiety was going through the roof, almost worse than the withdrawal symptoms).

 

Finding the sublingual methyl cobalamin was a life saver.

July 2011 - nasty anxiety crisis (lost job, became not functional, couldn't exit the house alone)
August 2011 - started 10mg Paxil  and October 2011 - 20mg (one month on 20mg)
November 2011 - starting slowly to decrease the dose at the pace my body supported. Down to 2.5 mg in January 2013 (17.5, 15, 12.5, 10, 7.5, 5, 3.7, 2.5) - at least one month at each step. Got a new job.
April 2013 - stopped completely, crashed after 2 weeks, and reinstalled 2.5mg, recovered fast.
September 2013 - started decreasing again, slower, down to 1 mg in December 2013
December 2013 - free of Paxil
March 2014 - another crash, exactly 3 months after stopping, after 2 weeks of horrors, reinstalled 1 mg - feeling better after one week.
March 2014 - July 2014: going slowly down: 1mg, 0.9mg, 0.77mg, 0.64mg
end of July 2014 - Paxil free, hopefully forever this time.

Jan 2024 update - Still Paxil free, feeling good. 

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I have taken a bunch of B vitamins in the past and I would react horribly to it.  Coming off Lexapro now this certain b-complex has been a lifesaver and it super calms me.  Its from Kirkman brands and its a organic b complex.

 

However, the brand I don't care about it... I like the type of B-vitamins inside by this company called Orgen B.  I think they are in a certain Dr Axe brand but I have only tried the Kirman one.  I put the link here so you can read about it.  http://www.orgenfamily.com/orgen-bs.html

 

If you try it let me know what you think.  So far its made  HUGE difference for me but i know everyone is difference with it.

 

 

 

 

 

February 2017 started Ambien (Whatever the highest dose was) and Ativan 1.5mg

March 2017 started lexapro.  15mg  -Weaned off Ativan after about 2 months on it. 

Weaned off Ambien after 4 months on it every night.  Lexapro starting working and didn't need it.

April 2018 started reduced Lexapro.  15mg-12.5mg.

May 18' 10mg, June 18' 7.5mg, July 18' 5mg, August 18' 4.5mg, Sept 18' 4.0mg, Oct 18' 3.5mg, Nov 18' 3.0mg.

Jan 19' 2.5mg, February 19' 2.0mg, From here I went about .10mg drops at a time and sometimes more every 2 weeks depending on how I feel.  That was from February-August 20th 2019.

I got to .30mg and decided to jump off.  It was so small and decided I needed to face my fears.  I created nueral pathways in my brain that I was fearing withdrawal.

Lexapro 0.0mg 8/20/2019

 

 

 

 

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So I stopped the B complex because it eventually caused more anxiety and sleep issues.  However, I found out I have a B12 functional deficiency .  I just want to comment that my doctor did not want me to try the methly forms of B12 and wanted me to do the Hydroxy verison of B12.  So far so good.

 

I found this podcast interesting also.  https://chriskresser.com/why-b12-deficiency-is-significantly-underdiagnosed/

 

Dr Kresser says there are 4 stages of B12 deficiency and it wont show on normal blood tests.  I had to take a Spectracell nutrient test to find mine.  It was super super low too.

 

 

February 2017 started Ambien (Whatever the highest dose was) and Ativan 1.5mg

March 2017 started lexapro.  15mg  -Weaned off Ativan after about 2 months on it. 

Weaned off Ambien after 4 months on it every night.  Lexapro starting working and didn't need it.

April 2018 started reduced Lexapro.  15mg-12.5mg.

May 18' 10mg, June 18' 7.5mg, July 18' 5mg, August 18' 4.5mg, Sept 18' 4.0mg, Oct 18' 3.5mg, Nov 18' 3.0mg.

Jan 19' 2.5mg, February 19' 2.0mg, From here I went about .10mg drops at a time and sometimes more every 2 weeks depending on how I feel.  That was from February-August 20th 2019.

I got to .30mg and decided to jump off.  It was so small and decided I needed to face my fears.  I created nueral pathways in my brain that I was fearing withdrawal.

Lexapro 0.0mg 8/20/2019

 

 

 

 

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@Songbird Is there any accurate blood test for B12 or do you just have take some?

1987 Anafranil

1987-1989 Prothiaden

1990-Jan 2015 Prozac 40mg Feb-Mar Prozac 30mg Ap-Nov Prozac 20mg (+10mg Zoloft for 1 week in Sept) Dec Prozac 10mg 2016 Jan-2017 Oct Prozac 15mg  Nov Prozac 14mg  Nov Prozac14.5mg

Other drugs Humira and Methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritisSupplements :Magnesium and calcium.Folic acid 5mg.

Inderal 10mg (stopped 2018 Dec).        

2018 Nov Quetiapine fumarate 25mg Dec 150-125mg 2019Jan 125-25mg Feb 25-12.5mg

2018 Dec Sertra 25-150-125mg

2018 Dec Pregabalin 75-150mg                                                                                                  

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Always pays to start at the beginning of an informational topic

 

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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On 10/23/2018 at 5:52 AM, NiteOwl49 said:

VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS CAN CAUSE KIDNEY STONES.  I had a kidney stone removed seven years ago.  I asked my urologist how I can prevent kidney stones and he said "don't take vitamin supplements."

 

That's a very broad statement.  Which vitamins in particular cause kidney stones - surely not every single vitamin - and where's the research to back up this claim?

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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On 10/23/2018 at 5:34 AM, Idlehnds said:

I found this podcast interesting also.  https://chriskresser.com/why-b12-deficiency-is-significantly-underdiagnosed/

 

Dr Kresser says there are 4 stages of B12 deficiency and it wont show on normal blood tests.  I had to take a Spectracell nutrient test to find mine.  It was super super low too.

 

 

Thanks for the link, that's interesting.  My B12 test showed in the normal range, but I was fortunate that my GP still allowed me to have the shot.  I had another B12 shot recently, and my GP is okay with me having a shot every 3 months or so if I need it.  We don't have the MMA or HoloTC tests available here in NZ, but I think the homocysteine test may be available, so next time I see him I might ask about that.  I might also ask about the test for the MTHFR variants, which I think can be done here if requested by a doctor, but it is expensive.

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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On 11/2/2011 at 4:24 PM, Altostrata said:

Vegetarians are prone to B12 deficiency because B12 has to come from animal-based foods (an indication humans are naturally omnivorous).

 

This is dead wrong according to the documentary "What the Health?" which you can watch it full in the link that I leave you at the end.

I'll just write here just a few of the most important scientific facts mentioned by physicians and nutritionists that are mentioned in the documentary:

 

(maybe this post could be moved by a moderator to another diet thread of SA) 


The world health organization, studies from Harvard and many other major universities around the world have concluded since 50 years ago that animal-based food and processed meat is a major cause of cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

 

Americans and the world believe that we need animal based food because the major animal food companies bribed the governments of every country by telling the governments to put in the food pyramid that animal food is necessary. 

The American Diabetes Association, The American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association are sponsored by the major animal-based food companies. That's why this associations recommend eating animal based food, and this associations tell the universities and colleges that teach medicine and nutrition, to teach their students that eating animal based food is good, so that the major animal-based food companies keep making lots of money.

 

Said by Dr Neal Barnard, M.D. (clinical researcher) "Diabetes is caused by eating animal food because of the amount of fat build up in the blood. Muscle cells  of the human body build up tiny particles of fat which causes insulin resistance, the sugar that is naturally from the food you eat, can't get into the cells where it belongs so it builds up in the blood and that's diabetes. Diabetes is not caused by sugar." 

 

Dr Michael Greger, M.D. (physician, author nutritionfacts.org) "When we eat dead meat bacterial toxins, within minutes we get a burst of inflammation which causes to paralyze and stiff your arteries, its created an inability in your arteries to relax." 

 

Dr. Michael Klaper, M.D. (physician, author) "Egg gives the most concentrated glum of saturated fat and cholesterol, and when we put that into our bloodstream it coats our red blood cells, our blood gets thicker and viscous, it raises our cholesterol levels, there's nothing healthy about eating eggs."

 

One of this physicians says that vitamin B12 is not in animal food and also it is not in plant food. B12 comes from a layer that covers the planet and that also you can get it in supplements/shots. 

 

Also a physician in the documentary says that even by anatomy, humans are not designed to eat animal food. And people with cancer, diabetes and heart diseasae, by eating a vegan diet, they can reverse them. 

 

According to a study mentioned in the documentary, dairy is highly linked to diabetes.

 

Dr. Milton Mills, M.D. (Critical Care Physician): "All protein is initially made by plants, and it is NOT necessary to eat animal tissue in order to get protein. Only plants have the ability to take nitrogen from the air, break those molecules apart, and incorporate that nitrogen into amino acids and then make protein. Any protein you get from an animal is simply recycled plant protein. Your really want to get your protein from plants because plant proteins have a much more beneficial effect on our physiology."

 

Dr. Alan Goldhamer (Author of "The Pleasure Trap"): "You get both enough quantity and quality of protein from plants and whole grains. 2000 calories of brown rice and broccoli is about 80 grams of protein (50mg from rice and 30mg from broccoli) and they include the essential amino acids that you need in order to maintain an optimal health."

 

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn M.D. (Director, Cardiovascular Prevention): "Greens, beans and vegetables are loaded with protein." 

 

Carbs are inversely related to diabetes.

 

In the netflix documentary "Food choices", nutritionists and physicians mention "The China Study" book written by a nutritionist that mentions that meat creates cancer since many years ago. Also a guy that had a severe cancer healed thanks to a vegan diet. A woman of around 80 years old is able to run marathons and to have a great health thanks to a vegan diet. Also in the documentary a UFC champion mentions that he is vegan, a guy that does iron mans mentions that he eats a vegan diet.

 

For more info about what biochemically happens in the body when you eat animal food and how it produces the cancer, diabetes and heart disease, watch the documentary. 

 

 

 

In 2008 I was 16 years old. 2008 - 2010 paxil, clonazepam & semisodium valproate. 2013 - 2017 many psych meds with cold switches and CT's prescribed by psychiatrists.

Nov/30/17 started quetiapine IR tablets 100mg 0-0-1. Dec/1/17 started pristiq 50mg tablets 1-0-0. Jan/14/18 started 1.5mg melatonin 0-0-1

Tramadol: 2 year well done (slow and gradual) taper: from Mar/12/18 to Feb/11/20 

Pristiq taper: Jun/15/20 Converted from pristiq 50mg to efexor xr 75mg for 57 days (felt good).  Aug/11/20 weaned to efexor 37.5mg and stayed there for 2 months with 26 days (felt good). Nov/6/20  CT 0mg of efexor xr (felt good). Total time in tapering pristiq 50mg by converting to efexor xr 75mg: 4 months with 22 days: Jun/15/20 to Nov/6/20. (felt good)

Efexor 0mg and quetiapine 100mg (Nov/6/20 to Dic/11/20) (felt good being without effexor and taking 100mg quetiapine)

Dic/11/20 quetiapine 75mg, so 75mg from Dic/11/20 to Jan/4/21  25 days. Jan/5/21 quetiapine 50mg (1 day in 50mg).

Jan/6/21 1st CT of quetiapine. Mar/1/21 CT melatonin. Felt terrible so Mar/25/21 reinstated 100mg quetiapine. 

100mg quetiapine 19 days (Mar/25/21 - Apr/13/21) Felt good while in quetiapine 100mg. 75mg quetiapine 55 days (Apr/14/21 - Jun/8/21) the 55th day (Jun/8/21)  felt hellish so CT'd quetiapine for a 2nd time on Jun/9/21. 

Jun/9/21 - Nov/16/21 1st days insomnia, anxiety, took cbd and felt very good many days (healed insomnia & anxiety), CT'd ginkgo which made me felt terrible so reinstated ginkgo. Started intolerable back pain (spasm) so tried other herbs along with cbd, then started derealization, panic, indecisiveness, nostalgia & others. Stopped taking cbd & herbs, reinstated quetiapine 75mg Nov/17/21, immediately after taking it, had severe heart palpitations, so Nov/18/21 back to cbd (no quetiapine). Nov/20/21 reinstated 75mg quetiapine (stopped cbd & herbs), severely couldn't breathe for 5 seconds after taking quetiapine 75mg so reduced to 50 mg on Nov/28/21 had new and worse and very severe adverse effects, got indecisive if CT or keep taking quetiapine because I was terrified of CT, but since the new severe adverse effects were very severe I CT, and because of indecisiveness and panic to CT, I reinstated again, then CT'd and reinstated many times, last time I was taking quetiapine it was 25mg and had severe TD, hellish anhedonia, suicidal, intrusive thoughts of imagining myself running into a wall and crashing into it and I was feeling the pain as if I was doing it in real life, involuntary thoughts of punching my face or head and shashing it against the wall and some times I did punch my face, and when I didn't, I also felt the pain just by imagining it, so definitive CT on Jul/15/22. 

Free from quetiapine and psych meds since Jul/15/22.

MY BEST ADVICE: FOLLOW SA'S GUIDELINES, DON'T CT BECAUSE IT IS HORRIFIC AND BE PATIENT TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO DO VERY SLOW AND GRADUAL TAPERS IN ORDER TO GET OFF OF YOUR MEDICATIONS, IT IS WORTH IT. THE ONLY MOMENTS WHERE IS RIGHT TO CT IS AFTER YOUR 1ST CT THAT YOU DID BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OR IMPATIENCE, IF YOU REINSTATE AND FEEL SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS LIKE TD, ANHEDONIA, FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DROWNING, OR THE ONE'S I HAD, IT IS BEST TO CT IN MY EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE WHEN I REINSTATED I GOT MUCH WORSE THAN WHEN I WAS IN THE PREVIOUS CT. I'm not a doctor.

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Vegetarians need B12.  It is not available from plant sources.

 

The China Study was a naturalistic study with tens of thousands of variables that were cherry-picked for the researcher to choose what he decided was "best outcome."  It is not scientific, even though it has been widely touted as such.  "China Survey" would be more accurate nomenclature.

Carbs are not inversely related to diabetes, they are directly related to diabetes - the United States Diabetic Association (sorry don't know the actual association) recommends counting carbs as a means to control diabetes.   My endocrinologist (and many esteemed researchers) state:  there are no essential carbs.  There are, however, essential amino acids, fatty acids, and proteins.

High carb diets are also related to fatty liver disease, cardiovascular problems (see. Dr. Jack Wolfson for more on this), and other disorders.  Processed carbs are the worst - real, fresh food doesn't seem to exact the same cost as processed foods and grains.

While everyone has the choice to eat animals or not - Dr. Kelly Brogan refuses to treat anyone who will not eat animals, specifically red meat, as the aminos and fatty acids are essential to the brain and mood.   There are many people who are doing quite well from eating a meat only (carnivore) diet.  Advocates include Dr. Ken D. Berry (says it's largely genetic, as to who benefits from this diet) and Dr. (not medical) Jordan Peterson.
 

Please consider the above post to be mainly opinion, the "veggie" vs. "paleo" vs. "carnivore" is a huge,  controversial, and quite personal topic, and this is not the place for it.  

Just a few links on veggie diet and mental wellness (it does seem to be very difficult to maintain mental health on veggie diet):  

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201211/youre-vegetarian-have-you-lost-your-mind

Vegetarians and Mental Disorders

http://kellybroganmd.com/red-meat-for-your-depression/

 

While I know this is challenging stuff for veggie folks - please consider that the reason you got drugged may be your insistence on eating no animals.

I have many veggie friends, and the ones who struggle the most are the most restrictive (vegans), and I have seen people improve rapidly as soon as they start adding fatty fish (at the very least) to their diet.

Back to your regularly schedule B12 topic.  At the very least, vegetarians, please take your B12.

 

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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All humans need vitamin B12. You can't get it from vegetables. End of argument.

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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20 hours ago, papaloapan said:

The world health organization, studies from Harvard and many other major universities around the world have concluded since 50 years ago that animal-based food and processed meat is a major cause of cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

yup, this is true

and most of the info on whole foods plant based diets reversing disease has been known for about a hundred years but it's been ignored

 

great post papaloapan

 

 

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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3 hours ago, Happy2Heal said:

yup, this is true

and most of the info on whole foods plant based diets reversing disease has been known for about a hundred years but it's been ignored

 

great post papaloapan

 

 

So the lunch meat I get that says no nitrates or nitrites is terrible for me? And the fresh chicken breasts and steaks I buy are bad too? I seriously don't even know what to eat anymore. It all causes me anxiety that I am harming my body

2010 bupropion(?) approx 1 month, cold turkey

2013 Lexapro 10mg from 2013-2015. Reduced to 5mg for 2.5-3ish years. Reduced to 2.5mg for 2 months then stopped early Sept 2018
Dec 8th 2018 Lexapro reinstated 0.5mg

Link to further details 

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Watch the documentary I posted, it has interviews with physicians and nutritionists

In 2008 I was 16 years old. 2008 - 2010 paxil, clonazepam & semisodium valproate. 2013 - 2017 many psych meds with cold switches and CT's prescribed by psychiatrists.

Nov/30/17 started quetiapine IR tablets 100mg 0-0-1. Dec/1/17 started pristiq 50mg tablets 1-0-0. Jan/14/18 started 1.5mg melatonin 0-0-1

Tramadol: 2 year well done (slow and gradual) taper: from Mar/12/18 to Feb/11/20 

Pristiq taper: Jun/15/20 Converted from pristiq 50mg to efexor xr 75mg for 57 days (felt good).  Aug/11/20 weaned to efexor 37.5mg and stayed there for 2 months with 26 days (felt good). Nov/6/20  CT 0mg of efexor xr (felt good). Total time in tapering pristiq 50mg by converting to efexor xr 75mg: 4 months with 22 days: Jun/15/20 to Nov/6/20. (felt good)

Efexor 0mg and quetiapine 100mg (Nov/6/20 to Dic/11/20) (felt good being without effexor and taking 100mg quetiapine)

Dic/11/20 quetiapine 75mg, so 75mg from Dic/11/20 to Jan/4/21  25 days. Jan/5/21 quetiapine 50mg (1 day in 50mg).

Jan/6/21 1st CT of quetiapine. Mar/1/21 CT melatonin. Felt terrible so Mar/25/21 reinstated 100mg quetiapine. 

100mg quetiapine 19 days (Mar/25/21 - Apr/13/21) Felt good while in quetiapine 100mg. 75mg quetiapine 55 days (Apr/14/21 - Jun/8/21) the 55th day (Jun/8/21)  felt hellish so CT'd quetiapine for a 2nd time on Jun/9/21. 

Jun/9/21 - Nov/16/21 1st days insomnia, anxiety, took cbd and felt very good many days (healed insomnia & anxiety), CT'd ginkgo which made me felt terrible so reinstated ginkgo. Started intolerable back pain (spasm) so tried other herbs along with cbd, then started derealization, panic, indecisiveness, nostalgia & others. Stopped taking cbd & herbs, reinstated quetiapine 75mg Nov/17/21, immediately after taking it, had severe heart palpitations, so Nov/18/21 back to cbd (no quetiapine). Nov/20/21 reinstated 75mg quetiapine (stopped cbd & herbs), severely couldn't breathe for 5 seconds after taking quetiapine 75mg so reduced to 50 mg on Nov/28/21 had new and worse and very severe adverse effects, got indecisive if CT or keep taking quetiapine because I was terrified of CT, but since the new severe adverse effects were very severe I CT, and because of indecisiveness and panic to CT, I reinstated again, then CT'd and reinstated many times, last time I was taking quetiapine it was 25mg and had severe TD, hellish anhedonia, suicidal, intrusive thoughts of imagining myself running into a wall and crashing into it and I was feeling the pain as if I was doing it in real life, involuntary thoughts of punching my face or head and shashing it against the wall and some times I did punch my face, and when I didn't, I also felt the pain just by imagining it, so definitive CT on Jul/15/22. 

Free from quetiapine and psych meds since Jul/15/22.

MY BEST ADVICE: FOLLOW SA'S GUIDELINES, DON'T CT BECAUSE IT IS HORRIFIC AND BE PATIENT TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO DO VERY SLOW AND GRADUAL TAPERS IN ORDER TO GET OFF OF YOUR MEDICATIONS, IT IS WORTH IT. THE ONLY MOMENTS WHERE IS RIGHT TO CT IS AFTER YOUR 1ST CT THAT YOU DID BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OR IMPATIENCE, IF YOU REINSTATE AND FEEL SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS LIKE TD, ANHEDONIA, FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DROWNING, OR THE ONE'S I HAD, IT IS BEST TO CT IN MY EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE WHEN I REINSTATED I GOT MUCH WORSE THAN WHEN I WAS IN THE PREVIOUS CT. I'm not a doctor.

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