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URGENT request : Make a submission to the Scottish government re: harm done, dependance and withdrawal. You don't even have to be from Scotland.


nz11

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Thank you for updating us.  It is much appreciated.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *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

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It's the least I can do in appreciation for the amazing support our petition has had from the members of this forum ChessieCat. 

1979 put on Clomipramine.
Failed attempt to withdraw from Clomipramine started on Seroxat 1992.
1997 Effexor replaces Seroxat after failed withdrawal.
2011 fail to withdraw from Effexor despite combined use of Prozac and Seroquel. Started on Cymbalta.
Anxiety not resolved by Cymbalta so taper off by 28th March 2012. Left on 10mg Buspirone and 1 quarter of 5mg Diazepam.
Anxiety at times very severe. 19th May take my first half of a 5mg Lamictal.

As of 5/11/2013, off all psychiatric drugs. Doing better but hope for more healing yet.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some recent updates. The Welsh Assembly published their report today in response to the petition on prescribed drug dependence and withdrawal to the Welsh Assembly. Stevie Lewis who is the petitioner gave an interview to BBC Radio Wales.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-47643985 

 

See also James Moore who writes about the report on his "Let's Talk Withdrawal" website: "Among the ten specific recommendations is the need for a greater recognition to be given to prescription drug dependence at a national level in both policy and strategy. In addition, they commit to investigate, as a priority, the potential for national rollout of a Prescribed Medication Support Service in order to ensure that specific advice and support is available for people who require assistance with prescription medication."

 

http://www.letstalkwithdrawal.com/governments-debate-psychiatric-drug-withdrawal/ 

 

The Scottish Government has as yet to produce their report but we hope it will be this year.

1979 put on Clomipramine.
Failed attempt to withdraw from Clomipramine started on Seroxat 1992.
1997 Effexor replaces Seroxat after failed withdrawal.
2011 fail to withdraw from Effexor despite combined use of Prozac and Seroquel. Started on Cymbalta.
Anxiety not resolved by Cymbalta so taper off by 28th March 2012. Left on 10mg Buspirone and 1 quarter of 5mg Diazepam.
Anxiety at times very severe. 19th May take my first half of a 5mg Lamictal.

As of 5/11/2013, off all psychiatric drugs. Doing better but hope for more healing yet.

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  • 1 month later...

This should by rights be posted as an update to the Welsh petition but given the importance of this I felt it deserves to be posted here. The Welsh government has accepted no less than 9 of the 10 recommendations brought forward by Stevie Lewis's petition.

 

https://past.wales/positive-response-from-welsh-gov-to-the-issues-of-dependency-with-prescribed-medication 

 

Important paragraph: "It is important we distinguish between substance misuse, as the harmful use of substances such as drugs and alcohol; and dependence arising from the therapeutic use of medication whether they are prescribed or purchased." 

 

Unfortunately recommendation 6 was rejected.

"The Welsh Government should determine whether SSRI and SNRI antidepressants should be added to the list of drugs targeted for reduction, and should introduce a national prescribing indicator to support closer monitoring of prescribing volumes and patterns across Wales. This indicator should be used to identify areas where further investigation or intervention may be required."  

1979 put on Clomipramine.
Failed attempt to withdraw from Clomipramine started on Seroxat 1992.
1997 Effexor replaces Seroxat after failed withdrawal.
2011 fail to withdraw from Effexor despite combined use of Prozac and Seroquel. Started on Cymbalta.
Anxiety not resolved by Cymbalta so taper off by 28th March 2012. Left on 10mg Buspirone and 1 quarter of 5mg Diazepam.
Anxiety at times very severe. 19th May take my first half of a 5mg Lamictal.

As of 5/11/2013, off all psychiatric drugs. Doing better but hope for more healing yet.

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  • Administrator

Hurray! It's a step forward.

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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It sure is!

1979 put on Clomipramine.
Failed attempt to withdraw from Clomipramine started on Seroxat 1992.
1997 Effexor replaces Seroxat after failed withdrawal.
2011 fail to withdraw from Effexor despite combined use of Prozac and Seroquel. Started on Cymbalta.
Anxiety not resolved by Cymbalta so taper off by 28th March 2012. Left on 10mg Buspirone and 1 quarter of 5mg Diazepam.
Anxiety at times very severe. 19th May take my first half of a 5mg Lamictal.

As of 5/11/2013, off all psychiatric drugs. Doing better but hope for more healing yet.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Thanks for the update Vanora.

 

I think this is the one you referred to:

 

petition-to-welsh-government-on-prescribed-drug-dependence-please-sign

 

Please add the update to that topic as well.  Thanks.

 

 

* 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

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I've done just that ChessieCat.

1979 put on Clomipramine.
Failed attempt to withdraw from Clomipramine started on Seroxat 1992.
1997 Effexor replaces Seroxat after failed withdrawal.
2011 fail to withdraw from Effexor despite combined use of Prozac and Seroquel. Started on Cymbalta.
Anxiety not resolved by Cymbalta so taper off by 28th March 2012. Left on 10mg Buspirone and 1 quarter of 5mg Diazepam.
Anxiety at times very severe. 19th May take my first half of a 5mg Lamictal.

As of 5/11/2013, off all psychiatric drugs. Doing better but hope for more healing yet.

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  • 1 year later...

Glad to see people taking action...

(i'm brazlian so please, ignore spelling mistakes) 2015 the beggining of the year started with effexor xr 37,5

went up to 300mgs

in october of 2015 quitted COLD TURKEY/took olanzapine 5mgs for 2 weeks around november/ reinstated effexor in january of 2016

in march of 2016 was at 300mg again

in may tappered effexor xr and added trazodone 150mgs, seroquel 50mgs and abilify 10 mgs/in july cold turkey from abilify (no big deal)

in september tried reducing trazadone to 50mg

after 2 weeks went back to 150mgs of trazadone and 50 mgs of seroquel and added 2 mgs of klonopin to use WHEN NEEDEED

currently taking 150mgs of trazadone and 50 mgs of seroquel at night

 

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Thank you NaturalBorn, we're doing what we can. We'd rather hoped that after this length of time  - the petition was lodged in May of 2017 - we might have reached an end point but what with Covid-19 and the sheer number of submissions that seems some distance away. One thing's for sure, we've brought a greater awareness to the issue of prescribed drug dependence and withdrawal. It's not so easy to ignore a petition with this level of submissions, unprecedented for the Scottish parliament.   

 

And if you haven't made a submission you still can. You don't even have to be from Scotland and if you wish you can remain anonymous. Follow the instructions at the beginning of the thread.    

1979 put on Clomipramine.
Failed attempt to withdraw from Clomipramine started on Seroxat 1992.
1997 Effexor replaces Seroxat after failed withdrawal.
2011 fail to withdraw from Effexor despite combined use of Prozac and Seroquel. Started on Cymbalta.
Anxiety not resolved by Cymbalta so taper off by 28th March 2012. Left on 10mg Buspirone and 1 quarter of 5mg Diazepam.
Anxiety at times very severe. 19th May take my first half of a 5mg Lamictal.

As of 5/11/2013, off all psychiatric drugs. Doing better but hope for more healing yet.

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  • 1 month later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

The Spanish Petition now has its own topic.  It is pinned in the Controversies, Actions, Events Forum.  Please note that the title may be changed to include more details.

 

You can find it here:

 

 

 

Edited by ChessieCat

* 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

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Thanks !!!

Had at almost the same time the following medications: 

amitriptyline 10mg : On = 10th of March 2018, Off=  20th May 2018

cipralex 5mg ( escitolopram) : On = 25th April 2018, Off= 20th May 2018

Had to stop them abruptly due to side effects, now I'm  suffering withdrawal

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  • 8 months later...

The latest update regarding the petition to the Scottish parliament on prescribed drug dependence and withdrawal.

 

Unfortunately, I have some disappointing news, our petition has been closed. You can watch the Public Petitions Committee give their final recommendation here:  https://www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/public-petitions-committee-march-24-2021?clip_start=10:16:22&clip_end=10:31:07 

 

Many of us who have been involved with this petition since it was lodged at the Scottish parliament in May of 2017 have been frustrated at the slow progress and feel that neither the committee nor the Scottish government fully understand what is at stake. 

 

If any of you are up for a long read the Scottish government sets out it's position in this submission:  http://www.parliament.scot/S5_PublicPetitionsCommittee/Submissions 2021/PE1651_UUUUUUUUU.pdf   

 

In their opinion: 'There is good evidence that health professionals assess and treat mental ill health appropriately.' 

 

This is very hard to fathom when antidepressant prescribing in particular continues to soar and the problems we highlighted in our petition are only set to get worse. There were 80 million prescriptions issued for antidepressants in England alone last year and with Covid that figure may well be surpassed in 2021. The situation in Scotland isn't any better. If you have a moment I would take a look at the most recent submission from the petitioner, Marion Brown. The final submissions from Beverley Thorpe Thomson, Ann Kelly, Barry Haslam, and from the Scottish psychiatrist, Dr Peter Gordon, are also worth reading. 

 

We had hoped that if Scotland could recognise the problem of prescribed drug dependence and withdrawal and initiate the specialist services necessary to deal with this epidemic of iatrogenesis it might set a precedent for other countries to follow. As it is they believe that by boosting existing service provision that they will have it covered. None of us are sure how this will work out in practice but it seems very doubtful that people are going to get the services they desperately need. 

 

The Scottish government has also established a short life working group (SLWG) in response to the issues raised by the petition and to the recommendations of the Public Health England Report from 2019. Individuals can contribute to this consultation which closes on the 4th of June, 2021. 

 

https://consult.gov.scot/health-and-social-care/prescription-medicine-dependence-and-withdrawal/ 

 

The Public Health England Report from 2019:  https://phe-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/dependence-on-prescription-medicines-linked-to-deprivation 

 

This isn't the end of things by any means, we haven't given up and I personally want to thank everyone again for their amazing support. I think I'm right in saying that this petition had more submissions than any previous petition. That's quite an achievement and we did it with your help.       

 

1979 put on Clomipramine.
Failed attempt to withdraw from Clomipramine started on Seroxat 1992.
1997 Effexor replaces Seroxat after failed withdrawal.
2011 fail to withdraw from Effexor despite combined use of Prozac and Seroquel. Started on Cymbalta.
Anxiety not resolved by Cymbalta so taper off by 28th March 2012. Left on 10mg Buspirone and 1 quarter of 5mg Diazepam.
Anxiety at times very severe. 19th May take my first half of a 5mg Lamictal.

As of 5/11/2013, off all psychiatric drugs. Doing better but hope for more healing yet.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Thank you for the update Vanora.  And thank you for providing an overview of the decision.

 

Even though this didn't turn out the way we had hoped, many petitions were available to the public.  We may never know if these will help down the road and if it does, how much it helps.

 

I read about 1/3 of the public petitions and was shocked at the impact these drugs have had on many people's lives.

 

Thank you again Vanora.  I am sure that the members who submitted their stories were happy to make their small contribution.

* 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

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