AntidepressantsFacts.com

[Barbarannamated]

Posting link to CG.'s site AntidepressantFacts. There is an overwhelming amount of info and links to studies and case reports here, although new material slowed in the early 2000s (a trend I've noticed in most medical literature).

The term 'epileptiform' behavior is used to describe the brain zaps. I had not heard that before. Is anyone else familiar wih that characterization or explanation?

http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/addiction-withdrawal.htm

Edited March 6, 2014 by Altostrata
name changed by request

[Altostrata]

Brain zaps have also been identified as L'hermitte's sign (http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/288-brain-zaps/page__p__3218__hl__l%26%2339%3Bhermitte%26%2339%3Bs__fromsearch__1#entry3218), a cousin to epilepsy.

[alexjuice]

I've looked at his site. He recommends a low protein diet high in raw veggies if I recall. He's very specific even. Has anyone tried this diet with success? Or does anyone know the basis for his recommendation? Is that simply what he ate? My main issue is trying to eat the way my nerves want. I can only guess at this. While my symptoms are improving, it's a slog. Like 4 up, 3 down. So I'm going sideways more than anything. It seems most of my symptoms come from what I consume. So nourishing myself is now experimenting on myself. I have no good guide. My PSSD has improved a lil of late, but I'm having other problems namely loss of feeling, pain, etc in the extremities which worsen when stressed. Arrgggg I'm curious why C makes such specific dietary recommendations. Alex

[Altostrata]

It's one of the many mysteries on his site. I suspect it's something that worked for him.

 

He's on Facebook, you might be able to ask him.

[Soso]

http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/pinealstory.htm

[Barbarannamated]

I agree ~relate to very much on the Pineal Gland -Depression connection

[Rhiannon]

Yes, there's some good stuff in this article. I wish it were written in a way that's less sensationalistic and a little more professional looking with citations.

 

One of the things mentioned that I think bears repeating is that there has never been any proof or scientific evidence that depression and serotonin are actually related in any way--in people who have never taken SSRIs. The serotonin levels and activity in never-medicated depressed people appears to be no different from nondepressed people.

 

Once you have taken SSRIs though and screwed up your neurotransmitters, you are then more prone to depressive episodes. But as the article mentions, those drugs act on many neurotransmitter and hormonal systems in the body, so it's hard to say exactly what's happening. I personally think glutamate is heavily implicated.

[Altostrata]

I merged soso's topic with the existing topic. C did a great job assembling the clues and publishing whatever he found. His theories are guesses based on his own symptoms. He hasn't updated the site in years. Take the information as a starting point for your own research. His theories may or may not be the scientific truth of withdrawal syndrome. (He's not a scientist or doctor, just an ordinary smart person.) More research needs to be done to verify them. Since the autonomic nervous system affects all the functions of the body, it's unlikely symptoms can be attributed to one gland or another. The functioning of all the organs is affected. Individual variations in biology account for symptoms seemingly located in one area or another.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Altostrata
name changed by request

[xDebbiejo]

This is quite interesting -

 

http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/taper.htm

[primrose]

Thank you.

 

I am tapering off seroquel.

It has high affinity for the serotonin Type 2 (5HT2), according to this http://www.flexyx.com/S/Seroquel.html

[Altostrata]

That is CG.'s site. C's is one of our success stories, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1351-charly-g-recovered-from-prozac-withdrawal/

Edited March 6, 2014 by Altostrata
name changed by request

[AprilShowers]

I just came across this site independently and looked to see if it had already been posted before. This article has some interesting stuff about cortisol. 

 

"But why do I hear people talking about benefits from these SSRI-AntiDepressants?", you might want to ask in this stage. "They surely must work somehow don't they?" The answer is yes, they "work" somehow, but not in a very proper way. The mechanism of action on serotonergic neurons implies a lot of other neuro- endocrine responses. What actually happens when you increase serotonergic neuronal activity or elevate your serotonin levels is this: the stress hormones "Cortisol" & "Adrenaline" (Epinephrine) in the brain and body are triggered by increased serotonergic activity or elevated serotonin levels. It is a natural reaction from the body to combat the excessive serotonin levels. These released hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, are secreted from the "Adrenal Glands." They give the human personality a boost, producing a euphoric state, which can last for a prolonged period of time. In this manner SSRI-AntiDepressants initially produce the deceptive results the doctor and "patient" are both expecting. *

If a patient continues to ingest a particular SSRI-antidepressant over a prolonged period of time, eventually the bodies Adrenal Glands may lose their efficiency and "Adrenal Exhaustion Syndrome" will be the end result. Adrenal Exhaustion causes levels of adrenaline initially to fall and levels of cortisol to rise. Ultimately, also cortisol levels fall. When untreated, Adrenal Exhaustion will lead to seriously declining physical health. Many (former) SSRI-AntiDepressant users reported fatigue as a long term side-effect or were diagnosed with "Chronigue Fatigue Syndrome." People suffering from stress are generally diagnosed with this disorder. Symptoms range from simple exhaustion to much more complex problems that are secondary to excessive output of adrenal hormones in the bloodstream, leading to Adrenal Exhaustion. Unlike the other hormones, it takes a long time before the Adrenal Glands have their adrenaline levels restored. Could we say that the SSRI-AntiDepressant "works" by slowly excavating the body's Adrenal Glands?

 

 

 

There's also a part 2  and part 3 if you want to read in depth.