auntels

[auntels]

Tonight I decided to get clean of all my meds. I’ve been on multiple medications for about 15 years. My brother has been telling me for years that I’m worse on meds than I was without. He’s right. Most of the time I’m a zombie. I feel invisible most of the time, but at times like I’m on display. I can’t talk to my dr. about any of this. She’s a pusher. Lately I feel infantalized by her. I just want to get clear of all this and find out who I really am. 

[ChessieCat]

Hi auntels and welcome to SA,

 

I would strongly recommend not going cold turkey off psychiatric drugs.  I can understand your desire to get off them but you may be setting yourself up for a very long period of withdrawal symptoms, possibly several years or more.  Some members here have ended up having to leave their jobs, some have had to move in with relatives, and some have had their relationship breakup, all due to withdrawal from psychiatric drugs.

 

My own experience was reducing from 100mg to 50mg Pristiq.  After 3 weeks of extreme brain fog I was unable to type.  Because I have been a typist all my life I knew that something was wrong.  I had joined SA a few days before and they had suggested increasing my dose.  When I couldn't type I took extra Pristiq and about 4 hours later I was able to type again.  Because I had a benchmark I knew that it was the reduction in my drug which had caused the issue.

 

SA recommends tapering which is a harm reduction method to get off psychiatric drugs.  The idea is to get off them with the least amount of discomfort.  As your drug load reduces you may start to feel more like your old self.  I know I have.  SA's tapering protocol is to reduce by no more than 10% of the previous dose followed by a hold for about 4 weeks which allows the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  Psychiatric drugs change our brains, we become physiological dependent on them.  Not physically like caffeine and nicotine.  Please read the  links below so that you can understand SA's recommendations.

 

We ask all members to create a drug signature, which will appear whenever you make a post.  This way we can see your history at a glance.  Please update it whenever you make a change.  Please use the following format:

 

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature - ALL drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly?

• 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.
• Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

One thing which I will point out is that there can be a delay in the surfacing of withdrawal symptoms.  I have experienced this myself on a previous drug (citalopram) which I cold turkeyed.  I felt great for a few months and then became very sick with what felt like the flu (aches and pains) but wasn't, I was basically bed bound for about 2.5 weeks, had trouble eating and lost 8 kgs in weight.  After joining SA I realised that this had been delayed withdrawal from going cold turkey.  Withdrawal Symptoms - Delayed Onset

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms
 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Brain Remodelling

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

What is Happening in Your Brain

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

 

Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

Keep Notes on Paper

 

The first post in this topic provides links to tips for tapering various drugs:  Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

 

This is your own Intro topic where you can ask questions and journal your progress.  We encourage members to visit other members' topics so you can support each other.

[auntels]

Oh, no no no - did not mean to indicate that I was going cold turkey! Took me over a year to get off Xanax. I’m ready for a long haul. Any thoughts on taking phenergen or zofran if needed? Sensitive stomach. This will be tough, as I don’t have an MD to support me through it. Both primary and psych are pro-meds, plus they communicate with each other. I haven’t started tapering yet because I don’t know what to start with. I’ll get in and do a signature tomorrow. Thanks, I didn’t know about that. So here begins the journey...

[ChessieCat]

4 hours ago, auntels said:

Oh, no no no - did not mean to indicate that I was going cold turkey!

 

PHEW!!!  Am I glad about that. 

 

Once we have some info about your drugs one of the mods will be able to make a suggestion.  Because you are taking multiple drugs please enter them in the Drug Interactions Checker and copy and paste the results in a (regular) post.  This will help the mods.

 

 

Here is some information which you might find helpful:

   

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?
If you're not having an adverse reaction from the other medications, taper the most activating drug first. This is usually an antidepressant or stimulant (ADHD drug).

 

 

4 hours ago, auntels said:

This will be tough, as I don’t have an MD to support me through it. Both primary and psych are pro-meds, plus they communicate with each other.

 

That's why this site exists.  Make sure to check out the topics I linked above to do with doctors and withdrawal.

[Frogie]

On February 9, 2018 at 9:09 PM, auntels said:

Oh, no no no - did not mean to indicate that I was going cold turkey! Took me over a year to get off Xanax. I’m ready for a long haul. Any thoughts on taking phenergen or zofran if needed? Sensitive stomach. This will be tough, as I don’t have an MD to support me through it. Both primary and psych are pro-meds, plus they communicate with each other. I haven’t started tapering yet because I don’t know what to start with. I’ll get in and do a signature tomorrow. Thanks, I didn’t know about that. So here begins the journey...

How long did you take Xanax? I've been on it for so long I can't remember. Went to get my prescription filled and the dr was so happy on my progress with my Lexapro taper he said it's time to start tapering Xanax. He originally wanted me to cut it 1/2. My response was I would do that if he wanted to visit me in the hospital. He told me to come up with my own taper and come back in 30 days. Shep has been a lifesaver. We worked out a taper of 2.5% off each 1mg tablet that I take 3 times a day. I would really appreciate your input. Were you sick when you tapered it?  Any information would be so helpful. I'm so scared.

 

I guess I'm lucky. I have a dr that prescribes both Phenergran and Zofran to me. I don't take it very often. But I did in the beginning. I was sick over a year. Now I might only take it once or twice a month. And it's usually something that I ate or got the flu. I did find something at Walmart called Nauzene. It's over the counter. You chew 2 and can chew another one in 15 minutes. It helps. Nothing like the Phenergran or Zofran, but it does help. They don't recommend Phenergran or Zofran on the site. I'm not a dr or a mod. I'm just letting you kniw what my dr did. 

 

I hope I helped.

 

I look forward to your response on the Xanax.

 

Good luck in your taper.

 

Take care,

Frogie xx

[auntels]

Like you, I was on Xanax for so long I lost track, but at a certain point, I realized how powerful it is (much more so than other benzos) and how physically dependent on it I was. I knew from conversations with my dr. that the safest way was to take off 1/8 at a time I did so and never got sick but got that feeling in my stomach that signaled need/cravings. I would go about a week and a half until it stopped and go down another 1/8. I was determined to do it myself, without any help. My dr didn’t know til the end. It was really really hard but I needed to know that I could do it myself, for myself, and I’m glad I did. I hope you get through it ok , just hang tough. And if you need support, I’m here :-)

[Frogie]

14 minutes ago, auntels said:

Like you, I was on Xanax for so long I lost track, but at a certain point, I realized how powerful it is (much more so than other benzos) and how physically dependent on it I was. I knew from conversations with my dr. that the safest way was to take off 1/8 at a time I did so and never got sick but got that feeling in my stomach that signaled need/cravings. I would go about a week and a half until it stopped and go down another 1/8. I was determined to do it myself, without any help. My dr didn’t know til the end. It was really really hard but I needed to know that I could do it myself, for myself, and I’m glad I did. I hope you get through it ok , just hang tough. And if you need support, I’m here :-)

Thanks I really appreciate your kind words. I might be contacting you with questions along the way. I'm not sick yet, but this is just my 2nd day. Nausea is my worst enemy in all of this tapering. I hope I can beat it this time.

 

Good luck with the Phenergran and Zofran. But do try the Nauzene.

 

Thank you again.

 

Take care,

Frogie xx