caperjackie Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I was on Paxil for 14 years and have been off (and completely med free) for almost 7 years. It is a hard road to travel but well worth it ....... good luck! Link to comment
Mentor Happy2Heal Posted March 24, 2018 Mentor Share Posted March 24, 2018 hi again this is part of what I'd wanted to say earlier, it's by Laura Delano of Inner Compass "In the same way that we need to be skeptical of glowing claims we may hear about consumer products like breakfast cereals, soft drinks or cars, we have to be skeptical of claims about psychiatric drugs. But it’s not always easy to critically appraise the claims of pharmaceutical companies, researchers and mental health practitioners; it’s vital to be able to understand the intersections of money, power, policy, research practices, regulation, industry, media, and non-profit organizations that steer the research and marketing of drugs. So in this essay, we’ll help you do just that, explaining how drugs are typically researched, approved by the FDA, brought to market, and promoted throughout society." https://www.theinnercompass.org/learn-unlearn/intervention/how-psychiatric-drugs-are-researched-and-marketed PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME PRIVATE MESSAGES, thank you. pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until Sept, then acute WD hit!! reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106 Tapered off to zero by Oct. 2017 Doing very well. Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content PRESENT DAYS: Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs Link to comment
Cheryl123 Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 I couldn't stand the reinstatement. I think it was giving me obsessive thinking! I stopped again today. Sigh... Cymbalta 30mg for 10 years - stopped Oct 2017 Zoloft 50mg.- Oct 2017 to December 2017 Remeron 7.5mg for two weeks December 2017 Lexapro 5 mg for two weeks February 2018 Link to comment
Mentor Happy2Heal Posted March 26, 2018 Mentor Share Posted March 26, 2018 On 3/22/2018 at 7:19 PM, Cheryl123 said: I need some positive stories. My doc messed me up in October trying to switch my from Cymbalta to Zoloft.. Ended up pretty much cold turkeyed from both. Anyway 5 months later I'm still in withdrawal from Cymbalta and new doc had me reinstate 5 mg cymbalta and thinks I may need to go up more to stabilize and then ween off correctly. Please tell me someone has gotten off this! I just did a google search and found this group- there's likely plenty of ppl who have gotten off that post there https://www.cymbaltawithdrawal.com/topic/9092-cymbalta-survivors-please-advise/ also there is this page, not sure if it might be connected to the one above https://www.depressionforums.org/forums/topic/25335-cymbalta-survivors/ PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME PRIVATE MESSAGES, thank you. pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until Sept, then acute WD hit!! reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106 Tapered off to zero by Oct. 2017 Doing very well. Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content PRESENT DAYS: Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs Link to comment
Mentor Happy2Heal Posted March 26, 2018 Mentor Share Posted March 26, 2018 wow also found this FB page https://www.facebook.com/Cymbalta-Hurts-Worse-1520653761565918/ I am so sorry you're/we're all going thru this but it is very encouraging to me to see that the word is getting out in social media, forums like this one, etc we need word to continue to spread, we need to educate as many ppl as we can- maybe we can save some other poor souls from going thru what we have or are currently going thru I firmly believe you will heal Cheryl, but I understand completely the need to hear from others who were on the same drug It's much more reassuring. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME PRIVATE MESSAGES, thank you. pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until Sept, then acute WD hit!! reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106 Tapered off to zero by Oct. 2017 Doing very well. Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content PRESENT DAYS: Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs Link to comment
Cheryl123 Posted March 26, 2018 Author Share Posted March 26, 2018 Thank you Kay and Happy2Heal. It's so hard! This is the hardest thing I've ever gone through. Many days are so discouraging. I'll have a good day and think I've come out on the other side only to wake up the next day in a complete miserable mess... Cymbalta 30mg for 10 years - stopped Oct 2017 Zoloft 50mg.- Oct 2017 to December 2017 Remeron 7.5mg for two weeks December 2017 Lexapro 5 mg for two weeks February 2018 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted March 26, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 26, 2018 I've merged the new topic you created with your Intro topic. This way your history will be in one place. The fact that you are having good days is a really good sign. I have found these have helped me to stay patient and accept (see: Acceptance) the not so good times: Brain Remodelling Video: Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery From: What is Happening in Your Brain "Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are [...] to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were [...] to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and [...] to work in the building! You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while [...] is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves. The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made." * 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
Cheryl123 Posted March 26, 2018 Author Share Posted March 26, 2018 I tried to reinstate the Cymbalta The last four days (just a tiny dose)... Umm nope! That was not going to work. Got really jittery and racing thoughts.I think it's been too long. Back to me and my supplements. I actually had a good day today. The morning was rough, but the day got better. Hopefully I'll have more windows and less (or zero) waves from here on out! Cymbalta 30mg for 10 years - stopped Oct 2017 Zoloft 50mg.- Oct 2017 to December 2017 Remeron 7.5mg for two weeks December 2017 Lexapro 5 mg for two weeks February 2018 Link to comment
Peachy Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 On 3/24/2018 at 6:25 AM, KayM said: Cheryl, you may want to check the zoloft should be illegal website. I think that the administrator, Holly Noble Myers, has gotten off cymbalta after 20 years. If I am wrong about this, then there may be others who have withdrawn. Good luck and let me know how you make out. Best, KayM Hi Kay, do you have a link to this website? couldn't find ankything with a google search.. thanks! med history: 17 years total Concerta: 2 yrs - cold turkey, brought on first "depression" Short trials of Zoloft and Effexor: 1-3 years - multiple cold turkey's brought on OCD intrusive thoughts for the first time Lexapro 15-20 mg (16 yrs) - tried to quit once, cold turkey, worst WD ever, had to go on to 20mg to stop WD Welbutrin 150mg (8-ish yrs) NO w/d symptoms from CT Adderall 5-7.5mg (8-10-ish yrs) quit CT, brought on many WD symptoms, but manageable. Begin taper March 2018 : Currently on 4.4 mg lexapro - down from 20mg Symptoms : depression, horrible intrusive thoughts and urges, new onset PMS/PMDD, constant extreme irritation and anger, visual hallucinations, irrational thinking patterns, panic, nausea, dizzy, intolerance to working out, chemical sensitivities, noise sensitivities, memory issues, heart palps, etc. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 11, 2018 Administrator Share Posted May 11, 2018 How much Cymbalta did you take? 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
Mentor Happy2Heal Posted January 8, 2019 Mentor Share Posted January 8, 2019 hi Cheryl123, how are you doing? PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME PRIVATE MESSAGES, thank you. pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until Sept, then acute WD hit!! reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106 Tapered off to zero by Oct. 2017 Doing very well. Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content PRESENT DAYS: Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs Link to comment
Cheryl123 Posted January 8, 2019 Author Share Posted January 8, 2019 Hi Happy2Heal, I am actually doing much better. I am currently on supplements and got stabilized on a low dose of Citalopram (15mg). I hoped to not have to take another antidepressant, but I was a total wreck. I hope to eventually taper off, but I will make sure I taper much slower this time. I do believe that's what caused me all the issues the first time! Thank you for asking how I'm doing. I appreciate it! How are you? Cymbalta 30mg for 10 years - stopped Oct 2017 Zoloft 50mg.- Oct 2017 to December 2017 Remeron 7.5mg for two weeks December 2017 Lexapro 5 mg for two weeks February 2018 Link to comment
Mentor Happy2Heal Posted January 9, 2019 Mentor Share Posted January 9, 2019 15 minutes ago, Cheryl123 said: Hi Happy2Heal, I am actually doing much better. I am currently on supplements and got stabilized on a low dose of Citalopram (15mg). I hoped to not have to take another antidepressant, but I was a total wreck. I hope to eventually taper off, but I will make sure I taper much slower this time. I do believe that's what caused me all the issues the first time! Thank you for asking how I'm doing. I appreciate it! How are you? I am so glad you're stabilized and doing better. Hopefully you can taper off the citalopram, if that's what you wish to do, of course. I am doing great! after over 4 decades on psych meds of all kinds I am finally drug free and have been for just over a year. I am actually off all drugs, not just the psych meds but all the other drugs I was on for things like hypertension and GERD and allergies, etc. It's so strange to have no need to go to a drug store any more, I used to be picking up meds nearly every week. I lost a lot of weight when I went off the last AD and I also dramatically changed my diet (I actually took more time to change my diet than I did to go off the lexapro, that was kinda silly, looking back on it now, hahaha) I look and feel like a whole new person. Loving life and wishing that I'd done this a lot sooner. I hope things continue to go well for you! pop in from time to time and let us know how you are going, ok PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME PRIVATE MESSAGES, thank you. pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until Sept, then acute WD hit!! reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106 Tapered off to zero by Oct. 2017 Doing very well. Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content PRESENT DAYS: Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs Link to comment
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