Jburgh412 Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 My name is Jim. I’m from pgh. I’ve been on some type of ssri for the most part of the past 13 years for anxiety and depression. I’ve also self medicated with drugs and alcohl for most of that time too. I’ve been clean from the drugs and alcohol for over two years now. And during those two years I’ve been prescribed 300mg Wellbutrin, 30 mg remeron and 100 mg Zoloft. Due to side effects and feeling like I was stable, I decided to wean off the Zoloft about 6 months ago. I did about a 3 month Zoloft taper, ending with about 3 weeks of 10 mg prozac per day.(at every dose reduction, I always felt very good/stable). Over the 4 months since my last dose, my condition went from good to unbearable. The past two weeks have been constant dread, and physical anxiety symptoms. Like all day long chest thumping and headaches from non stop worrying and depression. Two days ago, I gave in and started back on 20 mg prozac. Please help! i don’t want to be on this med anymore. Could this be withdrawal after 4 months of being ssri free? Or is my brain totally and permanently dependent on these pills? I’m all alone on this. Nobody understands what I’m going through, not even my doc. I could go on and on. Sorry for the life story. Any experience, strength, or hope would be greatly appreciated. -various ssri from 2003-2015 -October 6 2015- July 7 2017 prescribed 100mg Zoloft, 30mg remeron, And 300mg Wellbutrin. --May 2017- August 2017-tapered off the Zoloft. -August 2017- January 6 2018- taking 300mg Wellbutrin and 30mg remeron. -January 6,2018- Present- 300mg Wellbutrin, 30mg remeron, And reinstated 20mg prozac😞 Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 9, 2018 Administrator Share Posted January 9, 2018 Welcome, Jburgh. Yes, it sound like you had withdrawal syndrome from going off Zoloft and then Prozac. How are you feeling on 20mg Prozac? Even 5mg Prozac might be enough, you might be overdoing it with 20mg. 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. Link to comment
nz11 Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Welcome JB 9 hours ago, Jburgh412 said: Nobody understands what I’m going through, not even my doc I hope you can find some comfort in the fact that we totally understand what you are going through ..your story has been all of our stories too. We have all experienced similar symptoms and harm done by doctors and come up against the wall of medical denial. The doctors are clueless due to medical error not any fault or cognitive crosswiring in any individual. Are you able to do a drug signature. That would be great. It appears below peoples posts and allows others especially mods to see your context at a glance. 9 hours ago, Jburgh412 said: Could this be withdrawal after 4 months of being ssri free? you bet its very typical for wdl symptoms to be delayed several months. glad you found sa 2018 is off to a great start for you. nz11 ps I'm reading a great little book at the moment called the pill that steals lives by katinka newman. I rec it ..you might have it in your local library. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Jburgh412 Posted January 9, 2018 Author Share Posted January 9, 2018 Wow. Thanks for the support. I’m not sure how to reply to each individual person. it seems the 20 mg prozac I started a couple days ago alleviates the physical anxiety symptoms I was experiencing. But I’m still not feeling great mentally after the past couple weeks of not knowing what the heck was going on. -various ssri from 2003-2015 -October 6 2015- July 7 2017 prescribed 100mg Zoloft, 30mg remeron, And 300mg Wellbutrin. --May 2017- August 2017-tapered off the Zoloft. -August 2017- January 6 2018- taking 300mg Wellbutrin and 30mg remeron. -January 6,2018- Present- 300mg Wellbutrin, 30mg remeron, And reinstated 20mg prozac😞 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted January 9, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 9, 2018 Jburgh, Here's how to do a drug signature: 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. Please include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can. Any drugs and supplements 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. Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. This is a direct link to your signature: Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. 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
Jburgh412 Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 7 hours ago, Gridley said: Jburgh, Here's how to do a drug signature: 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. Please include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can. Any drugs and supplements 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. Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. This is a direct link to your signature: Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. So I think I did my drug signature but I’m not sure that it saved. Please let me know if it was done correctly. -various ssri from 2003-2015 -October 6 2015- July 7 2017 prescribed 100mg Zoloft, 30mg remeron, And 300mg Wellbutrin. --May 2017- August 2017-tapered off the Zoloft. -August 2017- January 6 2018- taking 300mg Wellbutrin and 30mg remeron. -January 6,2018- Present- 300mg Wellbutrin, 30mg remeron, And reinstated 20mg prozac😞 Link to comment
Jburgh412 Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 On 1/8/2018 at 9:16 PM, Altostrata said: Welcome, Jburgh. Yes, it sound like you had withdrawal syndrome from going off Zoloft and then Prozac. How are you feeling on 20mg Prozac? Even 5mg Prozac might be enough, you might be overdoing it with 20mg. I think the 20mg prozac re Instatement has helped with the physical anxiety symptoms but I’m still not feeling right -various ssri from 2003-2015 -October 6 2015- July 7 2017 prescribed 100mg Zoloft, 30mg remeron, And 300mg Wellbutrin. --May 2017- August 2017-tapered off the Zoloft. -August 2017- January 6 2018- taking 300mg Wellbutrin and 30mg remeron. -January 6,2018- Present- 300mg Wellbutrin, 30mg remeron, And reinstated 20mg prozac😞 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted January 10, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 10, 2018 Thanks for posting your signature. It looks fine. 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
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 10, 2018 Administrator Share Posted January 10, 2018 20 hours ago, Jburgh412 said: I think the 20mg prozac re Instatement has helped with the physical anxiety symptoms but I’m still not feeling right In what way are you not feeling right? More Prozac is probably not the answer. 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. Link to comment
Jburgh412 Posted January 11, 2018 Author Share Posted January 11, 2018 My anxiety is just off the charts. It’s taking me all of my strength and concentratrion just to get through a day. And I have a lot going on I’m my life. I don’t have the lifestyle at this point where I can take a day off work if I need to. I guess I’m just freaking out. I’m thinking of asking my doc to reinstate my meds. Maybe stabilize and give this another try with a slower taper. -various ssri from 2003-2015 -October 6 2015- July 7 2017 prescribed 100mg Zoloft, 30mg remeron, And 300mg Wellbutrin. --May 2017- August 2017-tapered off the Zoloft. -August 2017- January 6 2018- taking 300mg Wellbutrin and 30mg remeron. -January 6,2018- Present- 300mg Wellbutrin, 30mg remeron, And reinstated 20mg prozac😞 Link to comment
Jburgh412 Posted January 11, 2018 Author Share Posted January 11, 2018 2 hours ago, Altostrata said: In what way are you not feeling right? More Prozac is probably not the answer. My anxiety is just off the charts. It’s taking me all of my strength and concentratrion just to get through a day. And I have a lot going on I’m my life. I don’t have the lifestyle at this point where I can take a day off work if I need to. I guess I’m just freaking out. I’m thinking of asking my doc to reinstate my meds. Maybe stabilize and give this another try with a slower taper. -various ssri from 2003-2015 -October 6 2015- July 7 2017 prescribed 100mg Zoloft, 30mg remeron, And 300mg Wellbutrin. --May 2017- August 2017-tapered off the Zoloft. -August 2017- January 6 2018- taking 300mg Wellbutrin and 30mg remeron. -January 6,2018- Present- 300mg Wellbutrin, 30mg remeron, And reinstated 20mg prozac😞 Link to comment
RealMe Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 On 1/9/2018 at 2:40 AM, nz11 said: the pill that steals lives by katinka newman There is no copy anywhere in my county library system. I'll have to go on Amazon for it. Right now I'm reading William Glasser's Reality Therapy, recommended by Dr. Breggin. I remember reading him in the early 70's. I don't recall any warnings about psychotropic drugs in that first book. I'll have to look it up again. I can't believe how much better my concentration is since I started here. It's just that I'm only interested in WD and recovering from depression topics. My concentration goes out the window when the tinnitus spikes, but otherwise the totality of my symptoms are much improved. Alcohol periodic excessive 1963-1976, Valium sporadic 1964-1973, Imipramine off & on 1982-1985, Fluoxetine 10mg-80 mg. Oct., 1995-Jan., 2014; Cymbalta, other ADs 1/2014-3/2014; Abilify 5 mg. 3/2014 - 8/8/17; Trintellix 20 mg. 3/2014 - 9/2017; Propranolol 60-80 mg. sporadically Sept-Oct, 2017; Seroquel few days Sept 2017 (c/t); Wellbutrin 150 mg. Sept, 2017 updosed to 300 mg. few days till c/t Oct 8, 2017, fish oil, vitD, vitE Oct 16, 2017-pres. Lipoflavonoid 4/2017-pres. Fluoxetine 10 mg. Sept-Oct 8, 2017, 20 mg. 10/9- 10/15; 10 mg. 10/16 - 12/29; 9 mg. 12/30 - 2/9; 2 mL liquid (8.1mg) 2/10 - 3/7; 1.8 mL (7.29 mg) 3/8 -3/20; 1.6 mL (6.561mg) 3/20-4/2; 1.4 mL (5.9 mg) 4/3-4/14; 1mL (4 mg.) 4/15-4/22; .9mL (3.6mg) 4/23-5/1; .81mL (3.24 mg) 5/2-5/24; .73mL (2.916mg.) 5/25-6/8; .65mL 6/9-6/23; .6mL 6/24-7/17; .58mL 7/18-7/28; .525mL 7/29-8/13; .5 mL 8/14-21; .45mL 8/22-31; .4mL 9/2-21; .35mL 9/22-10/4; .3mL 10/5-28; .25mL 10/28-11/10; .2mL 11/11-11/24; .18mL 11/25-12/3; .1mL 12/4-12/18. Zero-12/19/18-present. Link to comment
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