☼ RuthS: Home stretch?

[RuthS]

Hi,  

 

                    I'm new to this website.  I have been trying to withdraw from antidepressants for about 18 months.  When I started by withdrawal, I was taking 20 mg of Prozac, 300 mg of Wellbutrin (to treat side effects of prozac), and 100 mg of Trazadone.  A year ago, I told my doctor I wanted to get off my medications because they were not helping and I was feeling increasingly fatigued.  She gave me a taper scheduled that had me off the drugs within 2 months.  I suffered terribly with anxiety, insomnia, and the worst depression I ever experienced.  After trying to persevere, I eventually went back on 10 mg of Prozac and 50 mg of Trazadone to relieve the anxiety and allow me to sleep.  

   

             Having reduced my dosages and completely eliminated Wellbutrin, I felt better and had more energy than when I was taking the higher doses.   Lab tests ordered by a functional medicine doctor revealed that I many nutritional deficiencies despite my healthy diet.  She prescribed supplements, including magnesium, fish oil (DHA and EPA), B vitamins, glutathione, and vitamin C.  My energy and strength increased and I was able to begin an exercise program.   Long story short, because I was feeling better, I began to taper the remainder of my drugs.  I am now down to 25 mg of Trazadone and 8 mg of liquid Prozac.  I have been taking 25 mg of Trazadone for over 6 months and only just started weaning off the Prozac. 

 

          Since I reduced Prozac from 10 mg to 8 mg, I have felt fine except for insomnia.  I joined this forum because I want to succeed with stopping the drugs for good this time.  

 

          Thank you so much for this forum and the information you have provided.

 

Past Medications:

Paxil 25 mg  2010-June 2012

Prozac 20 mg January 2013

Wellbutrin 300 mg January 2013

Trazadone  100 mg January 2013

 

Current Medications:

Prozac 8 mg

Trazadone 25 mg

Edited December 20, 2017 by Altostrata
added screen name to title

[Gridley]

Hello, RuthS and welcome to SurvivingAntidepressants.  Congratulations on going off the Wellbutrin and all the progress you've made.

 

We ask all of our members to fill out a signature so that all of your information can be read at a glance.  This helps moderators determine you current situation and we would ask that you follow the instructions at the link below.  You provided some of this information in your post, but it is helpful to the moderators to have the information in a signature, which will appear below each of your posts.

 

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.

 

At Surviving Antidepressants, it is recommended that a person taper by no more than 10% of their current dose with at least a four week hold in-between decreases.  The 10% taper recommendation is a harm reduction approach to going off psychiatric drugs.  Some people may have to taper at a more conservative rate as they are sensitive to even the smallest drops.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system.  

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. B vitamins can be stimulating (anxiety-causing) to someone withdrawing from psychiatric drugs and are generally not recommended

 

Are you tapering both Trazodone and Prozac now? Generally we advise that you taper only one drug at a time so you can monitor your symptoms and tell if you are tapering too fast.  If you are tapering two drugs at once and you encounter problems, it will be difficult to identify the source.   It is recommended that you taper the more activating drug first, so the more sedating drug can act as a buffer against withdrawal symptoms.  Please see the following link:

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

These links should also be helpful.

 

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

Tips for tapering off trazodone (Desyrel)

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Ruth.

 

What is the method you're using to taper Prozac?

 

Did you reduce trazodone and Prozac at the same time?

[RuthS]

I tried to make a signature according to your guidelines.  I got an automatic message in red font telling me it was not in compliance, but I cannot tell how or why it doesn’t comply.  

 

I am not tapering Trazadone.  I learned the hard way when I tapered in 2016, that I should only reduce one drug at a time.  I am hoping the Trazadone will help the taper of Prozac.  I am familiar with the work of Peter Breggin M.D.  and Joseph Glenmullen M.D. and I know about the 10% rule.  I decided to try an initial 20% reduction of Prozac because I found from previous experience that I have fewer withdrawal symptoms early in the taper and that they get worse near the end (but I did not follow the 10% rule last time).  I intend to follow the 10% rule for the rest of my taper....I just tried the 20% drop as a jump start.

 

 I have been at 8 mg for a few weeks and feel pretty good except for occasional trouble with sleep.  I will stay at 8 mg for a month or so before I reduce the dosage by another 10%.  

 

Thank you you so much for your support and the work you do on this site.  I think it is very important because, in my experience, psychiatrists are pretty useless when it comes to tapering and the withdrawal of antidepressants.  

[Altostrata]

You seem to have a good plan. By the way, here we advise that the 10% be calculated on the most recent dose -- the amount of the decrease keeps getting smaller. This gives you a gentle curve off the drug.

 

If I were you, I'd let your sleep recover completely before making the next reduction.

 

Thanks for your kind words.

[RuthS]

I have a question.  Is there some place I can find a table of the 10% reduction calculations for liquid Prozac?  I think the equivalent of 8 mg of capsule is 2ML of liquid.  That’s whT I have been taking.  

 

 I think  10% if 8mg is 7.2 mg.  But what does that translate to in the liquid? And then 10% if that and so on.  I’m not good at math.  

 

Thank you you so much for your help.

Ruth

[nz11]

If you look in the tapering thread you should find some.

Moderators chessiecat  and scallywag have put a link to one  in their drug sig. 

 

Youre better than you think at maths for you have calculated correctly.

 

You say that you 'think' 8mg is 2ml  

This is something you have to be certain on.

 

But I think you are correct because 20mg of Prozac is known to come in 5ml solution.

This is also consistent with your 8mg : 2ml ratio. So lets lock this in as the base ratio.

 

If  you have a calculator then to find your new dose all you have to do is multiply each side of the ratio by 0.9 (to reduce by 10% you would use a multiplier of 0.9 against the previous dose).

To calc the next dose after 8mg you simply multiply each side of the base ratio by 0.9 hence

7.2 mg : 1.8 ml [8 x 0.9 : 2 x 0.9 ]

To find the next one simply repeat (multiply the 7.2 and the 1.8 by 0.9) to give:

6.5 mg : 1.6 ml (rounded to 1 decimal place).

See if you can do the next one for yourself. [hint : multiply the 6.5 and the 1.6 by 0.9 ]

 

good luck, you can do it.

nz11

If you have excel you or a family member could easily set up a little spreadsheet with two columns and get excel to calc all the dosages for you using a formula. 

 

[RuthS]

Thank you so much.  I can do those calculations!

 

[RuthS]

        I’ve been tapering slightly faster than 10% per month.  I have gone from 10 mg (2.5 ml) of liquid Prozac to 1/2 a mg (.1 ml) in six months.

 

         Each time I reduced the dose, I experienced heightened anxiety and insomnia several days later.  The withdrawal symptoms would last for a few days and would pass and the I reduced the dosage again.  

 

      The end appears to be in sight.  I often worried that I would not be able to reduce my dose to almost nothing.  But like I said, I recovered after each reduction. 

 

       I think I’m ready to drop my dose to zero now.  Now I am wondering if this reduction to zero will be different from all the previous reductions because it means I will no longer be consuming any of the drug and my body will, I hope, finally be rid of the nasty drug for good.  

 

      So I’m wondering if there is a different kind of withdrawal that occurs after the drug as been completely stopped.  Or has my body been slowly adjusting or recovering during the gradual taper that the end will be no different from prior reductions.  Any information on this question is much appreciated.

[Madeleine]

I think that your body adjusts with each dosage but at the same time people do experience delayed withdrawal that pops up after they are off. Since you tapered off quicker than recommended maybe it might be advisable to hold a bit longer before you drop to zero?  Hopefully someone else will also give you some input... 

[Rosetta]

Ruth,

 

Madeline is making a good point.  Post zero is an interesting topic, and there must be a thread on it somewhere.  But the short answer is yes, people who have an uneventful taper can have an unpleasant experience after dropping to zero.  Please wait for a Mod to chime in before taking the leap.  The mod might recommend a bit of a hold for a while before "jumping off."  I see you still have Trazodone on board.  

 

If you don't get an answer and your post moves to the second page on the list, please write "bump" and post again.

 

All the best,

 

Rosetta

[RuthS]

Thank you so much.  

How do I bump the thread?

 

I have a question.  Is there some place I can find a table of the 10% reduction calculations for liquid Prozac?  I think the equivalent of 8 mg of capsule is 2ML of liquid.  That’s whT I have been taking.  

 

 I think  10% if 8mg is 7.2 mg.  But what does that translate to in the liquid? And then 10% if that and so on.  I’m not good at math.  

 

Thank you you so much for your help.

Ruth

[RuthS]

Thank you for your sound advise.  I’m feeling relatively good.  But I’ll hold the .1ml for awhile and let my body further adjust before making another small reduction.  Any advise on how to measure fractions of .1ml so I can taper that amount in several cuts?  Thanks

[SkyBlue]

13 minutes ago, RuthS said:

Thank you for your sound advise.  I’m feeling relatively good.  But I’ll hold the .1ml for awhile and let my body further adjust before making another small reduction.  Any advise on how to measure fractions of .1ml so I can taper that amount in several cuts?  Thanks

 

Hi Ruth, 

I'm so glad to hear you're going to hold for a while. That really is such a blessing. 

 

One idea is to use a microliter syringe. This measures to 1/1000 of a ml, 

or 0.001. 

 

There isn't a lot of info on how to do this, and there don't seem to be many people using the microliter syringe method. But on the last page of this topic http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/235-using-an-oral-syringe-and-other-tapering-techniques/?page=5 

I talk about using a microliter syringe to measure out my last 0.25ml (and less) of Paxil.

I've found it a reliable way to measure those tiny, tiny doses.

 

 

[Rosetta]

Bump

 

Edit:. Simple as that.  Just write bump and hit post.

[RuthS]

I am down to .1ml of Prozac.  As I previously mentioned, each time I reduced my dose, I felt some mild anxiety and a period of insomnia that passed.  I would hold the dose for a couple of weeks after the withdrawal symptoms had passed before dropping again.  So overall, my taper from 10 mg (2.5 ml) to 1/2 mg or (.1ml) was not too bad.  However, now that I am down to .1ml, I am starting to feel intense anxiety that is not going away.  I learned from reading other posts that as we approach zero, the withdrawal symptoms can get worse.  I am wondering if I should increase my dose a little to get relief and then taper more slowly from there or should I hang on at .1ml, let the symptoms subside and then take the last .1 ml more slowly.  Any advice would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

[ChessieCat]

On 6/2/2018 at 3:09 AM, RuthS said:

Any advise on how to measure fractions of .1ml so I can taper that amount in several cuts?

 

You can dilute the drug.  You could add 0.1ml of drug liquid to 10ml water then 1ml diluted solution = 0.01ml of drug.  Remember to do it the same way every time using the same equipment so your doses are consistent.

 

Calculations:

 

10ml liquid : 0.1ml drug

 

divide both sides by 10

 

1ml liquid : 0.01ml drug

 

 

3 hours ago, RuthS said:

I am wondering if I should increase my dose a little to get relief

 

How long have you been taking 0.1ml?

 

The question I ask is are the symptoms bearable.  If the answer is yes then I stay at that dose and ride it out.  If no then I updose by a small amount, not back to the previous dose.

 

[RuthS]

Hi.  I need help reaching the end of my taper.  Since last November or December I have been tapering down from 10 mg of Prozac using a liquid preparation.  I am now down to .1ml of liquid prozac which is approximately .5 mg.  Each time I reduced my dose, I experienced some anxiety and insomnia that would pass after a week or so.  It was tolerable.  But since I reduced down to .1ml, I have had the most intense anxiety and insomnia that I have had yet.  I am wondering if I should stay at .1ml for a longer period of time and eventually these symptoms will pass, or should l increase the dose a little to get relief.  I'm afraid I will never get off the drug if I increase the dose.  Sometimes during the thick of withdrawal symptoms I fear they will never go away.  If I persevere and stay at this dosage for a month or two, will the symptoms subside?  I think I just need hope and encouragement to continue.  Thanks.

[Altostrata]

Ruth, you can updose a bit if you wish, and hold for a good long while, to let your nervous system get used to the new level.

 

The last little bit at the end can be very difficult, but after your nervous system accommodates, you'll be able to taper again.

[RuthS]

Thank you for your  advice.  How much would you increase?  Another .1ml so I’m taking a total of .2ml?  And do you think I should stay there for a couple of months?  Also, I’m experience blood sugar problems that I’m managing with a low carb diet.  Do you know if that might go away once everything settles down?  Thank you so much for your help.

[RuthS]

I’ve was at .1ml for about 4 weeks.  I increased to .15 ml to help with the symptoms.  I’ll stay here at least another month I think and then drop very slowly from there.  It’s amazing to me how such a minuscule dose can have such an impact. And my doctor refused to give me a perscription for liquid Prozac!  Ihadto find another doctor to give the perscription.  Unbelievable.

[SkyBlue]

Yes, a month at least will be a good idea.

 

Oh, that makes me so mad that he gave you trouble getting the liquid Prozac. I'm glad you got it somewhere else, though. 

7 hours ago, RuthS said:

And my doctor refused to give me a perscription for liquid Prozac!  Ihadto find another doctor to give the perscription.  Unbelievable. 

[RuthS]

        I am wondering what recovery looks like after completing a slow taper.  I am currently taking .04 ml of Prozac and I’m close to zero.  I’m afraid of what will happen when I jump to zero.  But I’m also afraid of remaining on Prozac forever, even this tiny amount.  

     

        Does a person continue to feel better and better the longer she is off the drug as long as she takes good care of herself with nutrition, exercise, sleep etc....?

 

         I learned that I have chronic infections (mycoplasma and Epstein Barr virus).  I’m also wondering if my immune system will get stronger so I can fight these infections.  Thanks.

[ChessieCat]

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

Are there some who can't taper off no matter how slow they go?

 

When to end the taper and jump to zero?

 

Experiences after tapering to zero

[RuthS]

         I wanted to share my story because when I was suffering through my taper I needed hope; I needed to know that success was possible.  Two years ago I started withdrawing from 300 mg of Wellbutrin, 20 mg of Prozac, and 100 mg of Trazadone.  I followed my psychiatrist's very rapid tapering schedule and felt like I was going to die.  I managed to complete the taper, but, at the end I was so depressed and my anxiety and insomnia was so unbearable that I had to go back on the medication.  I still wanted to be rid of the drugs, so I only went back on 10 mg of Prozac and I stayed there for about 1 year.  During that year, my mood and health stabilized and I felt pretty good.  I was following a nutrient dense, low carb diet.   At the end of that year, I joined this forum and began a much slower taper of the 10 mg of Prozac.

 

          My psychiatrist would not give me a prescription for liquid Prozac.  Unbelievable right?  She also discouraged my plan to taper the 10 mg Prozac over the course of an entire year.  Fortunately my sister is a medical doctor and she gave me the prescription I needed.  I got tiny syringes from Amazon and began tapering slightly more than 10% per month.  I think the 10% rule is wise, but I was impatient.  And I did not reduce my dose much more than 10% per month.  I completed the taper of 10 mg over the course of 10 months.  

 

        Each time I reduced my dose, I experienced increased anxiety, irritability, and insomnia.  I maintained the dose until the withdrawal symptoms subsided.  Once I was feeling better, I stayed at same dose for another week or two to enjoy life before reducing again and going through the withdrawal symptoms.  Each time I experienced the withdrawal symptoms, I feared I would never be able to get off the drugs.  It was irrational because I had experienced an alleviation of the symptoms many times before reducing the dose again.  It was a cycle: feel better, reduce dose, experience withdrawal and fear of failure; feel better, reduce dose, withdrawal etc. . . .   No matter how many times I experienced a happy stablization, I was convinced I would never get off the drugs while I was in the throes of withdrawal.  But it always got better.   I have been completely off the Prozac now for about 4 weeks and I'm feeling pretty good.  

 

       So how did I do this?   I consulted an Integrative Psychiatrist.  On her recommendation, I took 50 mg of 5-htp at 4:00 p.m. and again at bedtime.  She also recommended that I take melatonin.  She explained that because 5-htp is turned into serotonin, and serotonin turns into melatonin, the supplemental melatonin acted liked a plug on the serotonin drain.  So the melatonin helped keep more serotonin in my receptors and also helped me sleep.  BTW, not all melatonin supplements are the same.  I found that 3 mg of melatonin made by Douglas Laboratories worked much better than 10 mg of melatonin from a drugstore brand.  I got the Douglas Laboratories melatonin and 5-htp on Amazon.  And Pure Formulas is another good website for these supplements.  

 

       I also consulted with a naturopathic doctor, who recommended that I follow either a ketogenic diet or a whole foods low carb diet and do some daily exercise.  I do a daily walk/jog.  Exercise does not need to be intense to be effective.  I try to walk in the morning when I will be exposed to morning sunlight, which helps train the circadian rhythm and sets the body up for better sleep at night.   The ketogenic diet was preferable for me because I had blood sugar dysregulation, which is caused by Prozac (This side effect is documented in the PDR.)  Blood sugar dysregulation causes anxiety and insomnia because when your blood sugar level goes too low (hypoglycemic), your body produces cortisol to raise your blood sugar.  Cortisol is your fight or flight hormone!  No wonder I used to wake up in a panic.  The ketogenic diet helped me sleep better, stabilized my mood, and gave me more energy.  I also lost the weight I gained when I stopped the Wellbutrin.  

 

        The naturopathic doctor also recommended I take up a meditation practice.  I had a traumatic childhood and I was sexual assaulted several times as an adolescent.  The doctor said I will need to release suppressed feelings from the trauma in order to eliminate the anxiety for good.  So I found a holistic therapist who specializes in trauma and uses emotionally focused therapy that gets to the root cause of mental anguish and releases it for good.  It is a painful process, but I can already see improvement.  

 

      With respect to meditation, the naturopathic doctor referred to me to a Heartfulness Meditation teacher/trainer.  They are all over the country and they teach meditation for free.  You can find them on the internet.  The Heartfulness practice includes a "cleaning" practice that helps eliminate stressful experiences from your system.  

 

            I also like Insight Meditation, which is a mindfulness practice.  Mindfulness meditation has been made famous by Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Kornfield.  I highly recommend their books and their podcasts.  They all three have their own podcasts and you can learn a lot about mindfulness from them.  I listen to them while I do my daily walk/jog.  Scientific studies show that meditation is an excellent treatment for anxiety and insomnia.  I know it has helped me get through my withdrawal symptoms and it definitely helps me sleep better than any supplement.  You can also find free insight meditation teachers in your area on the internet.

 

       I wish you all well on your journey to recovery from antidepressants.  Hang in there.  It is difficult, but success is possible.  You can be free and have peace.  I hope my story can be of help.  

 

Edited November 25, 2019 by manymoretodays
moved back to Introduction, was still on Trazodone, and removed my link back to members Intro

[manymoretodays]

Hi RuthS,

Could you update your signature for us?  I saw your most recent post in success stories.

Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

The instructions for adding to or editing your signature are in the ^ link.

Thank you.

L,P, H, and G,

mmt

 

Edited September 21, 2018 by manymoretodays

[Gridley]

Congratulations, Ruth!  As Alto said, you give us all hope.

[Liamb123456]

Congrats do you also think meditation helped with other withdrawals symptoms was meditation one key that helped you 

[RuthS]

I’m new to meditation, but yes I do think meditation helped with anxiety, depression, and insomnia.  It is very comforting.

[FarmGirlWorks]

10 hours ago, RuthS said:

I consulted an Integrative Psychiatrist.  On her recommendation, I took 50 mg of 5-htp at 4:00 p.m. and again at bedtime.  She also recommended that I take melatonin.  She explained that because 5-htp is turned into serotonin, and serotonin turns into melatonin, the supplemental melatonin acted liked a plug on the serotonin drain.  So the melatonin helped keep more serotonin in my receptors and also helped me sleep.

 

Hi @RuthS, thanks for the informative success story; I so wish I had tapered but too late now. Anyways, wondering if you did the melatonin for a period of time or ongoing? Thanks and bests.

[Hibari]

22 hours ago, RuthS said:

              I wanted to share my story because when I was suffering through my taper I needed hope; I needed to know that success was possible.  Two years ago I started withdrawing from 300 mg of Wellbutrin, 20 mg of Prozac, and 100 mg of Trazadone.  I followed my psychiatrist's very rapid tapering schedule and felt like I was going to die.  I managed to complete the taper, but, at the end I was so depressed and my anxiety and insomnia was so unbearable that I had to go back on the medication.  I still wanted to be rid of the drugs, so I only went back on 10 mg of Prozac and I stayed there for about 1 year.  During that year, my mood and health stabilized and I felt pretty good.  I was following a nutrient dense, low carb diet.   At the end of that year, I joined this forum and began a much slower taper of the 10 mg of Prozac.

 

          My psychiatrist would not give me a prescription for liquid Prozac.  Unbelievable right?  She also discouraged my plan to taper the 10 mg Prozac over the course of an entire year.  Fortunately my sister is a medical doctor and she gave me the prescription I needed.  I got tiny syringes from Amazon and began tapering slightly more than 10% per month.  I think the 10% rule is wise, but I was impatient.  And I did not reduce my dose much more than 10% per month.  I completed the taper of 10 mg over the course of 10 months.  

 

        Each time I reduced my dose, I experienced increased anxiety, irritability, and insomnia.  I maintained the dose until the withdrawal symptoms subsided.  Once I was feeling better, I stayed at same dose for another week or two to enjoy life before reducing again and going through the withdrawal symptoms.  Each time I experienced the withdrawal symptoms, I feared I would never be able to get off the drugs.  It was irrational because I had experienced an alleviation of the symptoms many times before reducing the dose again.  It was a cycle: feel better, reduce dose, experience withdrawal and fear of failure; feel better, reduce dose, withdrawal etc. . . .   No matter how many times I experienced a happy stablization, I was convinced I would never get off the drugs while I was in the throes of withdrawal.  But it always got better.   I have been completely off the Prozac now for about 4 weeks and I'm feeling pretty good.  

 

       So how did I do this?   I consulted an Integrative Psychiatrist.  On her recommendation, I took 50 mg of 5-htp at 4:00 p.m. and again at bedtime.  She also recommended that I take melatonin.  She explained that because 5-htp is turned into serotonin, and serotonin turns into melatonin, the supplemental melatonin acted liked a plug on the serotonin drain.  So the melatonin helped keep more serotonin in my receptors and also helped me sleep.  BTW, not all melatonin supplements are the same.  I found that 3 mg of melatonin made by Douglas Laboratories worked much better than 10 mg of melatonin from a drugstore brand.  I got the Douglas Laboratories melatonin and 5-htp on Amazon.  And Pure Formulas is another good website for these supplements.  

 

       I also consulted with a naturopathic doctor, who recommended that I follow either a ketogenic diet or a whole foods low carb diet and do some daily exercise.  I do a daily walk/jog.  Exercise does not need to be intense to be effective.  I try to walk in the morning when I will be exposed to morning sunlight, which helps train the circadian rhythm and sets the body up for better sleep at night.   The ketogenic diet was preferable for me because I had blood sugar dysregulation, which is caused by Prozac (This side effect is documented in the PDR.)  Blood sugar dysregulation causes anxiety and insomnia because when your blood sugar level goes too low (hypoglycemic), your body produces cortisol to raise your blood sugar.  Cortisol is your fight or flight hormone!  No wonder I used to wake up in a panic.  The ketogenic diet helped me sleep better, stabilized my mood, and gave me more energy.  I also lost the weight I gained when I stopped the Wellbutrin.  

 

        The naturopathic doctor also recommended I take up a meditation practice.  I had a traumatic childhood and I was sexual assaulted several times as an adolescent.  The doctor said I will need to release suppressed feelings from the trauma in order to eliminate the anxiety for good.  So I found a holistic therapist who specializes in trauma and uses emotionally focused therapy that gets to the root cause of mental anguish and releases it for good.  It is a painful process, but I can already see improvement.  

 

      With respect to meditation, the naturopathic doctor referred to me to a Heartfulness Meditation teacher/trainer.  They are all over the country and they teach meditation for free.  You can find them on the internet.  The Heartfulness practice includes a "cleaning" practice that helps eliminate stressful experiences from your system.  

 

            I also like Insight Meditation, which is a mindfulness practice.  Mindfulness meditation has been made famous by Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Kornfield.  I highly recommend their books and their podcasts.  They all three have their own podcasts and you can learn a lot about mindfulness from them.  I listen to them while I do my daily walk/jog.  Scientific studies show that meditation is an excellent treatment for anxiety and insomnia.  I know it has helped me get through my withdrawal symptoms and it definitely helps me sleep better than any supplement.  You can also find free insight meditation teachers in your area on the internet.

 

       I wish you all well on your journey to recovery from antidepressants.  Hang in there.  It is difficult, but success is possible.  You can be free and have peace.  I hope my story can be of help.  

 

 

Congratulations on your success Ruth and for sharing it here. Another friend from SA was suggesting I focus on keeping my blood sugar level through diet.  I lean towards low carb eating though when I'm in acute wd it's hard to eat anything.  Thanks for offering hope. 

[Bee5]

27 minutes ago, Hibari said:

Another friend from SA was suggesting I focus on keeping my blood sugar level through diet.  I mean towards low carb eating though when I'm in acute wd it's hard to eat anything.

 

Just dropping in on this thread. Don't be hard on yourself. I have had many people told me not to eat sugar or carbs while withdrawing, and I much like you, I couldn't eat anything. It's a paradox because your body still needs macro and micronutrients to heal and continue functioning optimally, but in severe withdrawal, it was like I couldn't swallow. I used to drink those supplement shakes that you buy at pharmacies that are formulated as meal replacements. I found swallowing liquid was ok, even when I had no appetite and couldn't eat solid food. And when I regained appetite, all I wanted was sugar and carbs, but I allowed myself to eat them, because on top of trying to manage all the symptoms of withdrawal, it was too much for me to also be militant in my diet.

[Hibari]

1 minute ago, Bee5 said:

 

Just dropping in on this thread. Don't be hard on yourself. I have had many people told me not to eat sugar or carbs while withdrawing, and I much like you, I couldn't eat anything. It's a paradox because your body still needs macro and micronutrients to heal and continue functioning optimally, but in sever withdrawal, it was like I couldn't swallow. I used to drink those supplement shakes that you buy at pharmacies that are formulated as meal replacements. I found swallowing liquid was ok, even when I had no appetite and couldn't eat solid food.

Thank you.  I have had to force myself to eat and sometimes that ends up being once a day.  I then load up on as much food as I can, choosing good protein and veggies but also eating potatoes or noodles for the calories.  I also drink gingerale throughout the day, sometimes made naturally and sometimes a commercial brand with sugar.  Doing what I can to not lose too much weight.  I will though take my friends suggestion to have some protein in system an before bedtime.  I will deal with any reflux issues later.  

[manymoretodays]

Thank you RuthS.  Always so nice to see success.  I  have used many of the same things that you do, as far as continued practices.  I do want to look at the Heartfulness meditation that you mention someday too.  So many different modalities that have many common threads I've found.

22 hours ago, RuthS said:

 You can be free and have peace.

......and love this ^

Yes, indeedy!

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

mmt

[RuthS]

This is to answer FarmGirl’s question about melatonin.  Yes, I am still taking 3 mg of  melatonin at bedtime, but my naturopathic doctor told me to reduce it as soon as I can because it is a hormone.

 

 I find I still need it for sleep, but as time goes by and I continue to adjust to being without drugs, I think it will be easier to stop the melatonin.  I intend to taper it down just like the drugs so my body can adjust to making its own in the appropriate amounts.  

 

The same doctor recommended that I take Kavinace (which contains phenibut) for sleep.  It works great, but I feel like it gives me chest pains so I’m sticking with the melatonin for now.  I hope that helps.

[Idlehnds]

Congratz Ruth!  That is so amazing that you were able to get off the meds.  I am getting closer myself and understanding withdrawal better.  

 

On 9/22/2018 at 12:02 PM, RuthS said:

This is to answer FarmGirl’s question about melatonin.  Yes, I am still taking 3 mg of  melatonin at bedtime, but my naturopathic doctor told me to reduce it as soon as I can because it is a hormone.

 

 I find I still need it for sleep, but as time goes by and I continue to adjust to being without drugs, I think it will be easier to stop the melatonin.  I intend to taper it down just like the drugs so my body can adjust to making its own in the appropriate amounts.  

 

The same doctor recommended that I take Kavinace (which contains phenibut) for sleep.  It works great, but I feel like it gives me chest pains so I’m sticking with the melatonin for now.  I hope that helps.

 

I just wanted to comment on the phenibut for sleep.  Its good that you didnt take this as I read it could be addicting also.  I was on this before my nervous breakdown and realized that this could of attributed to it because I stopped every supplement before my breakdown not knowing what was causing all my strange symptoms.  Now I realize I probably had to withdraw from it that I didnt know before.  Just adding my 2 cents