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how long off the drug


squirrel

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Just thought it would be helpful to know how long everyone had been off the drug.

Started Seroxat(Paxil) for panic attacks in 1997 stopped the drug in 2005 tapered over 3 months ( doctors advice)

Suffered severe and protracted withdrawl ever since.

No other medication taken.

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Now 3.5 years off

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

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As of yesterday, exactly 19 months off 4 pills of Lexapro.

End of 2008: Remeron 15mg for around 2 months. Unorthodox taper, no problems.
End of August 2009: Lexapro 10mg for only 4 days. Panic attack after 3 pills. Severe gastro problems in the morning for 3 days after last pill. 2 weeks later strong w/d symptoms set in.

Acute WD lasted around 3.5 years. I am feeling much better today, 5.5 years out, but still have some symptoms left.

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27 months off.

2000-2008 Paxil for a situational depression

2008 - Paxil c/t

Severe protracted WD syndrome ever since; improving

 

 

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once”

Albert Einstein

 

"Add signature to your profile. This way we can help you even better!"

Surviving Antidepressants ;)

 

And, above all, ... keep walking. Just keep walking.

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two years

for anxiety 

12 years paxil - cold turkey 1,5 month - switch celexa 1 year taper; total 13 years on brain meds 

67 years old - 9 years  med free

 

in protracted withdrawal

rigidity standing and walking, dryness gougerot-szoegren, sleep deteriorate,

function as have a lack of nerves, improving have been very little 

 

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6 years

Started Seroxat(Paxil) for panic attacks in 1997 stopped the drug in 2005 tapered over 3 months ( doctors advice)

Suffered severe and protracted withdrawl ever since.

No other medication taken.

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Started Paxil 10/97

Paxil free 10/16/04 (tapered over 2.5 months)

Severe withdrawal

12/04 started Lexapro (tapered over 4 months)

Lexapro free 8/2/05

Began Paxil 10/97*

Paxil free 10/16/04 (tapered over 2.5 months)

Severe withdrawal

12/04 started Lexapro due to Paxil w/d symptoms (tapered over 4 months)

Lexapro free 8/2/05

 

2 1/2 year severe protracted withdrawal

Doing well now with a few residual symptoms

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Started the psych med treadmill in 1995.

 

In 2006, I started tapering off of Wellbutrin Xl, Adderall, Remeron, and Doxepin. I cold turkeyed the Wellbutrin but the other meds, I tapered slowly.

 

I finished my taper last year in June.

 

It hard to articulate my issues but they remain. But I am much better than when I was on the meds.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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  • 1 month later...

Started seroxat 15th Jan 1997

started taper in Novemeber 2007

Tolerace wd - horrible

Taper ended 11th may 2010 = 56 long arduous months.

 

 

Only been 2 weeks free of the devils poison guys, and although its not been great,

its comparable to my doctors ct in 2005.

 

Overall, am feeling better in myself since i parted company with gsk and there legal prescription

poison. I realise now, just how numbed up ive been for far too many years,

and its lovely to have some clarity back, its been a long time.

Began taking 30mg Seroxat on 15th Jan 1997 for grief issues. Remained at that dosage until Dec 05, did doctor ct, akathesia set in along with being non functional and overly emotional, brain fog. Doctor prescribed prozac, propranelol and diazeapam to counteract side effects, and told me to ct those 3 after 2.5/3 months use, induced wd seizure on 2nd day after ct. Was reinstated on seroxat 20mg in april 06, remained at that dose until Nov 07 and began a very slow taper lasting 56 months, finally DRUG FREE on 11th may 2011.

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  • Administrator

"Tapered" off 10mg Paxil over a few weeks in October 2004.

It's now been 6 years, 7 months.

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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Starting in 8/06, tapered from 30mg Adderall, 300mg Wellbutrin XL, 22mg Remeron, and 10mg Doxepin. Finished my taper last year on June 10.

 

With the exception of Wellbutrin XL which I cold turkeyed with the help of spirulina and chlorella, I tapered the other meds very slowly.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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  • 2 weeks later...

Started Seroxat 1998, was given it in 1997 but i reacted so badly it was stopped, and have now been off since Sept 04, so a very long 6 years and 8 mths :(

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3,5 years off

Sept.2007 Citalopram for burn out,reverse reaction

Paroxetin 20mg,5 weeks,had to stop because of reverse reaction

after a manic episode,severe withdrawal hit after 6 weeks,

hospitalization twice,during the first 2 years withdrawal got worse and worse

disabled since

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1989 to 2008 - Prozac, Paxil, Celexa

 

11 or 12 week taper

 

Off since February 15th, 2008 (going on 40 months off).

1989 to 2008: Prozac then Paxil then Celexa.

Numerous attempts to quit.

Then I got off the SSRI poop-out merry-go-round.

11-12 week taper.

 

Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear

If you're going through hell, keep walking

The only way out is through

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  • 4 weeks later...

I been on it since i was 16 so ten years! And i been off it prozac for 6 month i think i quite to fast and now suffering severe withdrawal syptoms :( i dont get good sleep, tired all the time :(

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I am so jelouse of the peoples on here who have been off of it for 6 or more years and i wonder how are their mental health? And side effect are they feeling any?

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Poodlebell how are you doing now after 4y 9m ? I am at 3y 9m and still not out of the woods... did you experience more healing after 4 years?

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

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Hi Claudios

 

I have some improvements but not many for the length of time. The acid reflux is not nearly as bad, the prickling I had is not as bad, dont have the crying spells and on the whole dont have a lot of depression, never went on the drug for depression, it was migraines, have had lots of odd pains in different places and these have gone, sleeping is a lot better but not more than 5 hours, but can lay in bed a lot more relaxed when not asleep. Toilet problems are much much better, palps are much much better, breathing is better, so a lot of things have improved but we tend not to think about this too much when we still have so many other things wrong.

 

I still have head pain, awful noise in ears and head pressure, feel sick and cant eat many foods or take any meds or supplements. Find I can muddle through each day better but if I get any added stress this makes me a lot worse. Also if I do more or eat different foods my w/d is twice as bad. Also get bad dizzy spells, concentration is better but not good, and still get times when I feel I suppose its a bit like going to faint but dont, hard to explain.

 

poodlebell

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And poodle how is ur sleep? And if i may ask how many milligram and how long u took ur ad?

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My sleep is a lot better, about 5 hours a night, hardly had any in early w/d, I was on 10mgs of seroxat for 10.5 years

 

poodlebell

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Ic my situation is so different i was sleeping good for 5 month and not until the last 2 weeks did my sleep go to hell! I dont want to be pessimistic i am really considering oing back o ssri just get get my sleep right cause i can handle the depression and if i only go back on a low milligram and get my sleep right, and use other treatment to increase libido it just might work. I remember after i discontinued ssri i used maca and boom next day i felt increased libido, and i can also use gingko too, an i also know this chinese herb, there are so many opinions!

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I cant take any herbs without getting worse w/d, but if you can take these I would try this before you go back on a/d. What is macca

 

poodlebell

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I've been off Pristiq for 3 montha now, the latest is morning anxiety. I'm also 1.5 years into menopause, so I'm always unsure what I'm feeling is due to, SSRI w/d or menopause?....

On antidepressants since October 1997 including: Paxil, Celexa, Cipralex, Effexor (a couple of days only, horrible stuff.....), Pristiq 50 mg.

Started to taper off Pristiq Feb 2011, last pill April 9, 2011

Take the occassional Clonazapam when morning anxiety too much to handle.

Post menopausal - started low dose BHRT 27July10

Reinstated 5mg of Escitalopram (Cipralex), 2 Aug 2010

Stopped taking BHRT 19Aug11

Increased to 10 mg Cipralex 19Aug11

Increased to 15 mg Cipralex 29Aug11

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Off Zoloft and Wellbutrin (cold-turkey) for 8 months.

'94-'08 On/off ADs. Mostly Zoloft & Wellbutrin, but also Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, etc.
6/08 quit Z & W after tapering, awful anxiety 3 mos. later, reinstated.
11/10 CTed. Severe anxiety 3 mos. later & @ 8 mos. much worse (set off by metronidazole). Anxiety, depression, anhedonia, DP, DR, dizziness, severe insomnia, high serum AM cortisol, flu-like feelings, muscle discomfort.
9/11-9/12 Waves and windows of recovery.
10/12 Awful relapse, DP/DR. Hydrocortisone?
11/12 Improved fairly quickly even though relapse was one of worst waves ever.

1/13 Best I've ever felt.

3/13 A bit of a relapse... then faster and shorter waves and windows.

4/14 Have to watch out for triggers, but feel completely normal about 80% of the time.

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I have been off since April 2009. I had a lot of physical complaints while on effexor - joint and muscle pain,headaches,jaw clenching,twitching,nightmares over time these have cleared up but I have depression and anxiety again but I don't think this is withdrawal but a return to my original state .

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