Hopefulness Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 How do you know if what you're feeling is withdrawal related or not? I was on 400 mg and once I got to 100 I got a compounding pharmacy to make 5mg pills and the. 2.5 mg pills. It's still been tough but manageable. I did brain optimization that DEFINITELY helped with sleep. I used to have insomnia every drop but since getting that it's SO much better. Since going from 5mg to 2.5 mg (the biggest drop I've ever done) I feel like something is broken inside of me. And next I'll stop completely which is scary. I'm hoping it won't last long and I'll feel better. I'm so weary of the roller coaster. I cannot believe I'm feeling this bad when I went so slow. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted November 8, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 8, 2017 Hi, Hopefulness, and welcome to SurvivingAntidepressants. I'm glad you found your way here. I have moved your post to our Introductions and Updates forum where it will get more attention. This is where you can post your updates and questions. We ask all of our members to fill out a signature so that all of your information can be read at a glance without having to go to this original post each time. Your signature will appear at the bottom of each of your posts. This helps moderators understand your situation. Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature • Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. • A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. • Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. • Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) • Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. To get you started, and familiarized with the protocols followed by SA, I am linking a couple of topics so that you have a better understanding of what is recommended here and the steps that you can take to minimize your withdrawal. What is Withdrawal Syndrome? Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Please note that your drop from 5mg to 2.5 mg is a 50% drop, much larger that the 10% we recommend. This would explain the bad reaction you are having and could certainly be withdrawal Similarly, dropping from 2.5mg to 0 is too fast. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted November 9, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 9, 2017 Hi Hopefulness, and welcome from me too, Once you do your drug signature and we have more information about when you made your reductions we will be better able to offer suggestions. This is your own Introduction topic where you can ask questions and journal your progress. Here are some links for you which you will hopefully find helpful: Tips for tapering off Seroquel (quetiapine) Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal? What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms? Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization Brain Remodelling Video: Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
Ali4 Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 On 2017-11-08 at 8:30 AM, Hopefulness said: How do you know if what you're feeling is withdrawal related or not? I was on 400 mg and once I got to 100 I got a compounding pharmacy to make 5mg pills and the. 2.5 mg pills. It's still been tough but manageable. I did brain optimization that DEFINITELY helped with sleep. I used to have insomnia every drop but since getting that it's SO much better. Since going from 5mg to 2.5 mg (the biggest drop I've ever done) I feel like something is broken inside of me. And next I'll stop completely which is scary. I'm hoping it won't last long and I'll feel better. I'm so weary of the roller coaster. I cannot believe I'm feeling this bad when I went so slow. Slow is key, if it’s a too fast taper you will feel the withdrawal. Follow what the site suggests, this site is a huge help for people going through this. I’ve been there and it was hell, I had to reinstate and start over. I hope you feel better soon. Ali 10 years citalopram 30mg- tapered down in December 15/2015- Jan 15/2016 to 20mg for two weeks, ten for one week and five for another week, then stopped, less then two weeks later, sheer hell broke lose with debilitating withdrawal symptoms. Update-- reinstated 5mg of celexa on feb 5-- within hours noticed immediate difference in WD symptoms-- Holding holding and more holding. Updose- March 23/16 too 10mg- relieved the harsher head symptoms- current symptoms headaches, dizzy, numbness and tingling in my head. Benzos- 2015-Ativan on and off for 6 months 2mg- switched to clonazepam nov 2015- 2mg till Jan 2016 Zopiclone 7.5mg nov-dec 2015- was tapered off over 4weeks- Currently in protracted withdrawal. ???????????????????????????????? Update- ended up in the hospital April 18/16 major suicidal ( never had that before) was admitted/ been there ever since, put me back to full dose celexa 30mg no drugs added, IAM FINALLY STABLE AFTER 3 months of tortuous hell. Got a great physiatrist that new all about WD, he will help me taper properly in a couple of months at 5% deductions holding 8 weeks. I never want to relive that hell again. Udate- stable and holding, doing things slowly is key. Link to comment
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