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Using Dr. Glenmullen's checklist to track symptom patterns and progress


Karma

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dissociation

After being on (over 25) psychiatric meds continuously during a 16 year period, I began in July 2014 to taper off 1mg Klonopin. In September 2014, I came off Brintellix, Trazadone, Zoloft, Proprityline & Hydroxyzine in 2 weeks on my own without knowledge on how to taper properly. I've been off all psych "meds" since 10/2014 and am currently experiencing protracted withdrawal.

 

Medication history: Vibryd, Wellbutrin, Lithium, Prozac, Xanax, Celexa, Cymbalta, Trileptal, Lamictal, Abilify, Zoloft, Trazadone, Citalopram, Effexor, Seroquel, Klonopin, Paxil, Brintellix, Protriptyline, Lexapro, Pristiq, Buspar, Clonidine, Lorazepam, Notriptyline, Hydroxyzine, Serzone.

 

Introduction: http://bit.ly/1SIxWwl.

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loss of caring for others, even family

obsessiveness

complete absence of motivation

Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional

Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. 

After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. 

June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells

September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. 

 

Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn

 

Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland:

https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg

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  • I constantly think about my life before meds.

Grieving for the person that I used to be. 

Difficulty with language and comprehension.

Inability to concentrate.

2001: 20mg paroxetine
2003-2014: Switched between 20mg citalopram and 10mg escitalopram with several failed CT's
2015: Jan/ Feb-very fast taper off citalopram; Mar/ Apr-crashed; 23 Apr-reinstated 5mg; 05 May-updosed to 10mg; 15 Jul-started taper; Aug-9.0mg; Sep-8.1mg; Oct-7.6mg; Nov-6.8mg; Dec-6.2mg
2016: Jan-5.7mg; Feb-5.2mg; Mar-5.0mg;  Apr-4.5mg; May-4.05mg; Jun-3.65mg; Jul-3.3mg; Aug-2.95mg; 04Sep-2.65mg; 25Sep-2.4mg; 23Oct-2.15mg; 13Nov-1.95mg; 04Dec-1.75mg; 25Dec-1.55mg.
2017: 08Jan-1.4mg; 22Jan-1.25mg; 12Feb-1.1mg; 26Feb-1.0mg; 05Mar-0.9mg; 15Mar-0.8mg; 22Mar-0.7mg; 02Apr-0.6; 09Apr-0.5mg; 16Apr-0.4mg; 23Apr-0.3; 03May-0.2mg; 10May-0.1mg

Finished taper 17 May 2017.

Read my success story

 

I am not a medical professional. The information I provide is not medical advice. If in doubt please consult with a qualified healthcare provider.

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Wow Dan, I constantly think about me before meds too and I grieve for the person I was too but it is ever so slowly coming back so have hope.....

Paxil start September 2003 due to Fluoroquinolone adverse reaction that I wish doc. knew what it was. 10mg. most of the time with a few short runs of 20mg. FAST tapered 3 times and finally hit poop out or a reaction to nsaid's in Nov.2013. Started a 10% taper Jan. 2014 and have been ok until Sept 14 and went through a short hell. Now plodding through and looking for the light with unrelenting insomnia and pain, fog, loss of interests....<p>12/20/14 - .8mg.

1/01/15 - .75 mg.

1/15/15 - .42 mg. better sleep now, hope it continues...

2/11-15 - .25 mg. doing really good!! 2 weeks feel 85% of old me!

3/17/15 .14 mg. Knee pain bad!

4/07/15 .05 mg. this is so small now that I am estimating and just licking it off palm small as a "." 

4/13/15 NOTHING !!!! Took my last little micro dose on 4/12/15. 

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Me too.... I look at old pictures and cry....

Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional

Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. 

After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. 

June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells

September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. 

 

Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn

 

Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland:

https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg

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impaired short term memory

horrible DR/DP

sky high anxiety

ruminating thoughts

On and off prozac from 2010 -2014 .

Several failed fast tapers and reinstatements .

Cold turkey : March  2014 .

-----------------------------------------

took lysanxia 40 mg a day for almost a year
november -14- 2018 weaned to 30 mg
november -26- 2018 weaned to 20 mg
symptoms that got better : fatigue
current symptoms : severe anxiety
one rescue dose (10 mg ) december -15 -2018
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Laura, Westcoast, Gardinia, Dan, DLB, and a99, thank you for contributing to this list. Hopefully there will be more contributions and of course if you think of others add them.

 

Feeling as though the pre-medicated person is lost... Grief. That's one I hadn't thought of in terms of grief until now, but it's definitely something I've read about repeatedly in people's threads.

1988-2012: Prozac @ 60mg (with a few stops and starts)

Fall 2012: Returned to 40mg after discontinuing and horrid withdrawal 

Fall 2013: 40mg Fluoxetine, added 150mg Wellbutrin to treat fatigue 

Winter 2014: Attempting to taper both (too fast)

April 2014: 9mg Fluoxetine + 37.5 Wellbutrin 

Summer 2014: 8 mg Fluoxetine + 0 Wellbutrin (way too fast a drop)

Late summer/Early Fall 2014: Debilitating Withdrawal symptoms 

Fall 2014 - Wellbutrin successfully kicked to the curb but…

Oct- Dec 2014: Panicked reinstatement of Fluoxetine ->30mg - held for 5yrs

Jan 2021: taper to 20mg Fluoxetine  then tapering by 1mg every 2-3 months

Fall 2022 - held at 10mg->December 2022: 9mg->Feb 2023: 8mg ->March 2023: brassmonkey slide begins: 7.8mg -> 7.6 -> 7.4->2 week hold (April)->7.2->7mg->6.8->2 week hold->6.6-> 1-month hold ->(June)-6.5->4-week hold-> (July)-6.4 (discontinued brassmonkey slide and slowed taper)-> (Aug)-6.2->(Sept)-6.0->(Oct)-5.9->(Nov)-5.8->(Dec)-5.7->wave!->(Jan)-5.8->(Feb)-6mg and holding.

 

My 2014 withdrawal experience: https://rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/

 

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This complete absence of motivation I experienced last fall. For me it wasn't part of depression. It wasn't like, I dont "feel" like doing... Whatever. It was not feeling at all. Numb. Intellectually I knew I should do it, but that was the extent of it. Even eating and showering. It wasn't that I didn't feel like doing them. I just didn't feel anything about them and didnt do them. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

1988-2012: Prozac @ 60mg (with a few stops and starts)

Fall 2012: Returned to 40mg after discontinuing and horrid withdrawal 

Fall 2013: 40mg Fluoxetine, added 150mg Wellbutrin to treat fatigue 

Winter 2014: Attempting to taper both (too fast)

April 2014: 9mg Fluoxetine + 37.5 Wellbutrin 

Summer 2014: 8 mg Fluoxetine + 0 Wellbutrin (way too fast a drop)

Late summer/Early Fall 2014: Debilitating Withdrawal symptoms 

Fall 2014 - Wellbutrin successfully kicked to the curb but…

Oct- Dec 2014: Panicked reinstatement of Fluoxetine ->30mg - held for 5yrs

Jan 2021: taper to 20mg Fluoxetine  then tapering by 1mg every 2-3 months

Fall 2022 - held at 10mg->December 2022: 9mg->Feb 2023: 8mg ->March 2023: brassmonkey slide begins: 7.8mg -> 7.6 -> 7.4->2 week hold (April)->7.2->7mg->6.8->2 week hold->6.6-> 1-month hold ->(June)-6.5->4-week hold-> (July)-6.4 (discontinued brassmonkey slide and slowed taper)-> (Aug)-6.2->(Sept)-6.0->(Oct)-5.9->(Nov)-5.8->(Dec)-5.7->wave!->(Jan)-5.8->(Feb)-6mg and holding.

 

My 2014 withdrawal experience: https://rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/

 

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Complete lack of motivation and depression much of the time, then something will trigger a switch to the other extreme - emotional overload, crying, etc... I try to see this as progress because I am "feeling", it is just highly unregulated. Maybe the other extreme is my brains way of protecting me from overwhelming emotions all of the time. I can appreciate this, even though both ends of the spectrum are challenging in their own ways.

2005-2009, Lexapro 10 - 20 mg, CT WD w/severe depression and anxiety:  2010-2015, Paxil, 30 - 40 mg, tapered off at 10 mg/week, moderate anxiety and depression:  2010-2015, Clonozapam 0.25 mg, as needed for anxiety and sleep:  1/10/2015, Zoloft 25 mg, tried to increase to 50 and 75, but nausea and dizziness:  2/13/2015, Paxil 5 mg, added back after 2 weeks at zero to reduce WD:  2/28/2015, Paxil 10 mg, increased from 5 mg to reduce WD, HOLDING:  3/04/2015, Zoloft discontinued (reduced to ~12.5 mg on 2/19, ~6.25 mg on 2/26, then zero):  4/26/2015, Paxil starting 10% taper (no scale so was inadvertently at 20% taper, yikes!):  4/30/2015, Paxil 10 mg, reinstated (WD disappeared between August 2015 and May 2016)

5/02/2016, Started 10% taper, reinstated to 10 mg on 5/11/16:  4/29/2017, Last dose of Paxil (working with holistic psychiatrist, lots of supplements to aid WD):  Primary symptoms: apathy, demotivation, anhedonia, fatigue, stress intolerance, moderate social anxiety

7/1/2018 Finally feeling like myself again, success!!! Praise God! Even with the stress of relocating recently, I am feeling pretty good most of the time now. Granted, I eat healthy, I exercise, I don't drink caffeine or alcohol and I try hard find a healthy balance of quiet and social times. Hang in there and keep the faith, you can do it too!

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I found an interesting diagnosis in ICD-10. I wonder if they made it for post-AD syndrome. I googled but haven't found its origin yet. I hope it isn't a thread hi-jack. It doesn't all ring true, but some of it does.

 

 

Enduring personality change after psychiatric illness

 

Personality change, persisting for at least two years, attributable to the traumatic experience of suffering from a severe psychiatric illness. The change cannot be explained by a previous personality disorder and should be differentiated from residual schizophrenia and other states of incomplete recovery from an antecedent mental disorder.

 

-This disorder is characterized by an excessive dependence on and a demanding attitude towards others;

 

-conviction of being changed or stigmatized by the illness,

 

-leading to an inability to form and maintain close and confiding

 

-personal relationships and to social iso-lation

 

-passivity, reduced interests, and diminished involvement in leisure activities;

 

-persistent complaints of being ill, which may be associated with hypochondriacal claims and illness behaviour;

 

-dysphoric or labile mood, not due to the presence of a current mental disorder or antecedent mental disorder with residual affective symptoms;

 

-and longstanding problems in social and occupational functioning.

2009: Cancer hospital said I had adjustment disorder because I thought they were doing it wrong. Their headshrinker prescribed Effexor, and my life set on a new course. I didn't know what was ahead, like a passenger on Disneyland's Matterhorn, smiling and waving as it climbs...clink, clink, clink.

2010: Post surgical accidental Effexor discontinuation by nurses, masked by intravenous Dilaudid. (The car is balanced at the top of the track.) I get home, pop a Vicodin, and ...

Whooosh...down, down, down, down, down...goes the trajectory of my life, up goes my mood and tendency to think everything is a good idea.
2012: After the bipolar jig was up, now a walking bag of unrelated symptoms, I went crazy on Daytrana (the Ritalin skin patch by Noven), because ADHD was a perfect fit for a bag of unrelated symptoms. I was prescribed Effexor for the nervousness of it, and things got neurological. An EEG showed enough activity to warrant an epilepsy diagnosis rather than non-epileptic ("psychogenic") seizures.

:o 2013-2014: Quit everything and got worse. I probably went through DAWS: dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome. I drank to not feel, but I felt a lot: dread, fear, regret, grief: an utter sense of total loss of everything worth breathing about, for almost two years.

I was not suicidal but I wanted to be dead, at least dead to the experience of my own brain and body.

2015: I  began to recover after adding virgin coconut oil and organic grass-fed fed butter to a cup of instant coffee in the morning.

I did it hoping for mental acuity and better memory. After ten days of that, I was much better, mood-wise. Approximately neutral.

And, I experienced drowsiness. I could sleep. Not exactly happy, I did 30 days on Wellbutrin, because it had done me no harm in the past. 

I don't have the DAWS mood or state of mind. It never feel like doing anything if it means standing up.

In fact, I don't especially like moving. I'm a brain with a beanbag body.   :unsure:

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Arghhhh... misdiagnosis made it into the DSM... that so doesn't surprise me

Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional

Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. 

After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. 

June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells

September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. 

 

Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn

 

Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland:

https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg

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  • 2 weeks later...

  • wake up in total anxiety/terror

can't cry, laugh, scream, love....just a zombie wit hell inside, trying to do things

go to bed with total anxiety/terror

I want my old life back!!!! :(

06/2012 - 02/2015 CIPRALEX 10 mg (for somatic abdominal pain + reflux) - prior to this NOT any significant episode of anxiety/depression

on medication: emotional-sexual numbness, total inability to cry, +8 kg, fatigue -> abdominal pain gone

02/2015 - 1/04/2015 tapering from 10 mg to 0 mg doctor advised

05/05/2015 huge anxiety, burning skin sensation, panic, fear, not able to cry again, never-had-before insomnia, totally lost appetite, little loss of vision in one eye, sweating, chest pain, short breath, restlessness, accelerated heartbeat, mild akathisia legs-feet

30/05/2015 reinstated 8mg (I was suggested 5 mg here)

middle 07/2015 general improving

10/2015 start disastrous too long taper 7mg  11/2015 6mg  12/2015 5mg 1/2016 4mg  2/2016 4mg  3/2016 3mg ->FAIL back to 4mg .... 8/2016 3mg 8/2017 2mg  (short wave in summer '17) 8/2018 2mg stable  8/2019 1mg  1/2020 0.6 mg 

1/APRIL/2020 0mg FREE!

7/2020 - 10/2020 MILD WAVE(mostly anxiety, poor sleep)

6/2021 - 9/2021 WAVE (anxiety, severe insomnia, total loss of appetite, deep depression, internal restlessness, anhedonia)  0.125g triazolam  2 times

18/03/2022 WAVE (anxiety, severe insomnia, total loss of appetite, PAIN in muscles and nerves, arms and right leg,cannot exercise,hard to walk) 0.125g triazolam 3 times

7/5 rein 0.1mg

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  • 4 months later...
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Instead of printing a new symptom page to fill out each day, here's what I do: 

 

I use a large, lined book (like a school book).  I typed up then printed all the symptoms listed in the symptom-checklists, plus other ones personal to me.  I glue this in a column down the left side of the page. 

 

Then I rule it up so I can record symptoms daily for one month, by giving each symptom I've had a score out of 9.  1=barely felt it, 9=awful.  I fill it in each morning (to record the night's symptoms) and each evening (to record the day's symptoms).  Then I add up my score each day and write it at the bottom of that day's column, and under that I write one of these words:  Awful, bad, blah, ok, good, great.  Then I make a note of anything that may have affected the score e.g. getting my period, stress due to outside circumstances, too much exercise. 

 

At the end of each month I transfer each daily score to a line graph. 

 

I've found it really valuable for working out how I'm going, what I can expect, and whether I really have been settled long enough to try another dose-reduction.  Seeing the up-down line can be very reassuring as it's a clear picture that things do get worse and better again.  Trends are easier to spot.

 

I also like being able to see a whole month at a glance. 

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • 1 month later...

If anything else a journal- gave me a tracking of what I was like before.  By typing down what I was feeling a year ago- (on Benzo buddies) it gave me a perspective on the progress I've made since.   For me the best structure- is what ever I felt like doing when I felt like doing anything at all.

 

If you feel like typing- do so. No one is going to judge you for typing an encyclopedia (just follow the guidelines the administrators set up). If you don't feel like typing- then don't. No recriminations. You can always catch up later if and when you feel like it.

Going back through my journal on BB- I can 'read between the lines' about the way I was feeling back then.

 

Your journal is for your benefit. It's a fringe benefit for the next round of folks who come across this site.  Your experiences may end up helping someone else. 

1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15

Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84

Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. 

Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist.

 

My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health.

 

The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning.

 

 

 

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I use the symptom checklist Petunia gave you at the top, and add up my score each day for an overall, comparable number. 

I also give each day a single word to describe it overall:  Awful, bad, ok, good, great. 

Then I make a small note about anything extra that might have given me worse symptoms eg PMS, family visiting, stress due to children etc.

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • 1 month later...
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Hi Everyone,

 

Finally got around to converting the Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Excel Symptoms List to a document for printing off.  I also made up a blank version for people to fill in their own and also added some additional lines to the Excel version (and corrected a typo).

 

So attached here is monthly:

 

PDF - with Dr Glenmullen's Symptoms (will print out on 2 x A4 sheets)

 

PDF - blank version of the above (will print on 1 x A4 sheet)

 

Please see next post for other Excel version (slightly revised)

 

CC

Dr Glenmullens Symptom List for Month to Print.pdf

Blank Symptom List for Month to Print.pdf

* 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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Excel version - Dr Glenmullen's Symptoms List for completing on the computer (slightly revised version of the original I did last year - I added some blank lines and corrected a typo)

 

 

CC

Dr Glenmullens Symptom List for Month.xls

* 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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  • 1 month later...

 

This complete absence of motivation I experienced last fall. For me it wasn't part of depression. It wasn't like, I dont "feel" like doing... Whatever. It was not feeling at all. Numb. Intellectually I knew I should do it, but that was the extent of it. Even eating and showering. It wasn't that I didn't feel like doing them. I just didn't feel anything about them and didnt do them. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Sounds totally familiar for me. I had never in my life problems motivating myself. Just now. I know I should submit sick certs to work, send the bills to the health insurance, take care of my disability process. But I don't care. I just can't get myself to do it. It doesn't even phase me that my bank account will be empty pretty soon. I hope this will subside soon, otherwise I will be bankrupt.

 

Been like this for years ON the meds. Now as I am taking less, I am getting more motivated. very odd. stopping the drugs was my last resort to get over this NotDoingAnythingEver.....

I did not pay bills, and dishes sat for 3 months - amazing science projects, purple and lilac mold anyone? ;)

Getting off Amitriptyline 25 mg, on 12.5 mg now. 50 mg to 25 mg; Cymbalta 60 mg, currently 30 mg/day for 15 days. Decided to cut open remaining 60 mg capsules and take the little tablets inside. 6 = 30 mg. If need be, I can up the dosage, but aside from a bit of toe pain I am ok.UPDATE: >>>>> Amitriptyline 25 mg 1992- ??? ----- 50 mg until March 21, 2016. 2016 - then 25 mg <<<<<went to 20 mg of Amitriptyline, and down 5 tiny tabs of Cymbalta. (less than 30 mg now. cut Klonopin to 1/4 mg now. Trazadone 50 mg 4/14/16Variety of ADs, Buspar, Effexor, Celexa, Zoloft, Wellbutrin (to quit smoking. Success!) Cymbalta, Klonopin from '95 to present.Norco (Vicodin or Hydrocodone) '92 to 2014 - cold turkey - minor issuesHad 1 day with withdrawal symptoms - dealing mostly with Side Effects. April 7, 2016: now taking Ami 12.5 and Cymbalta 30 mg. (in bead form) still 1/2 mg Klonopin. Melatonin 10 mg (have been for years). 1 Trazadone 50 mg for sleep. Amino Acids, Omega 3,6 and 9 w/DHA. Turmeric and Ibuprofen for pain,Tramadol, 50 mg, as needed (PRN) - take maybe 1 per day for Fibro pain. Had one day of very swollen calves and ankles, one day of lumps on calves, all better. Today the toes, lasted 2 hrs, now gone. Important to note I am getting off these drugs BECAUSE of multiple side effects. BM much better, I have an appetite and crave healthy foods again. More energy, but not nervous. Sleeping great, much easier to rise, ok with 7 hrs/sleep, used to need 9 or 10.No burning toes 2nd day. Doing well so far. 4/14/16. legs, ankles still an issue, but less so. <p>
4/21/16.>>>> went to 4 tablets Cymbalta and 15 mg Ami and cut Klonpin to 1/8.
UPDATE: 5/5/16 - 15 mg Amitriptyline, 3 tablet Cymbalta (there are 12 in a 60 mg capsule,) very little Klonopin, 50 mg Trazadone, 10 mg Melatonin, Inositol and Ashwagandha. Tramadol PRN.
---- feeling great - no addl. symptoms , only 3 times something like you all list here. leg/ankle swelling still an issue, but not so much-----

6/5/2016 - All done, except for Trazadone. 50mg/nt is all. It is next, in a couple of months. No more Tramadol either - that was unintentionally, but hey, I am not complaining. I am using Kratom once or twice daily.

6/13/2016 - 25 mg of trazadone. 
Doctor is happy for me how well this is all going. :) Almost done with it all!!

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I read the book "Coming off Antidepressants" by Joseph Glenmullen, and I always recommend it to people thinking of tapering, that book was my big lightbulb moment when I suddenly understood what was going on and that I was experiencing withdrawals, it is still available on Amazon and I can really recommend it.

That is an expensive book! I was determined and found 1 copy at abebooks.com

amazon was spendy - lol - but you so highly recommended it, I bought it. Thanks!

 

 

ingridphoenix I am in the UK so I have a feeling it was cheap and readily available here at the time, no idea why it's so expensive in the US.

 

I think it is out of print now - so it is rare. I got my copy - it was shipped - so thanks again for recommending it! Can't wait to read it. :)

Getting off Amitriptyline 25 mg, on 12.5 mg now. 50 mg to 25 mg; Cymbalta 60 mg, currently 30 mg/day for 15 days. Decided to cut open remaining 60 mg capsules and take the little tablets inside. 6 = 30 mg. If need be, I can up the dosage, but aside from a bit of toe pain I am ok.UPDATE: >>>>> Amitriptyline 25 mg 1992- ??? ----- 50 mg until March 21, 2016. 2016 - then 25 mg <<<<<went to 20 mg of Amitriptyline, and down 5 tiny tabs of Cymbalta. (less than 30 mg now. cut Klonopin to 1/4 mg now. Trazadone 50 mg 4/14/16Variety of ADs, Buspar, Effexor, Celexa, Zoloft, Wellbutrin (to quit smoking. Success!) Cymbalta, Klonopin from '95 to present.Norco (Vicodin or Hydrocodone) '92 to 2014 - cold turkey - minor issuesHad 1 day with withdrawal symptoms - dealing mostly with Side Effects. April 7, 2016: now taking Ami 12.5 and Cymbalta 30 mg. (in bead form) still 1/2 mg Klonopin. Melatonin 10 mg (have been for years). 1 Trazadone 50 mg for sleep. Amino Acids, Omega 3,6 and 9 w/DHA. Turmeric and Ibuprofen for pain,Tramadol, 50 mg, as needed (PRN) - take maybe 1 per day for Fibro pain. Had one day of very swollen calves and ankles, one day of lumps on calves, all better. Today the toes, lasted 2 hrs, now gone. Important to note I am getting off these drugs BECAUSE of multiple side effects. BM much better, I have an appetite and crave healthy foods again. More energy, but not nervous. Sleeping great, much easier to rise, ok with 7 hrs/sleep, used to need 9 or 10.No burning toes 2nd day. Doing well so far. 4/14/16. legs, ankles still an issue, but less so. <p>
4/21/16.>>>> went to 4 tablets Cymbalta and 15 mg Ami and cut Klonpin to 1/8.
UPDATE: 5/5/16 - 15 mg Amitriptyline, 3 tablet Cymbalta (there are 12 in a 60 mg capsule,) very little Klonopin, 50 mg Trazadone, 10 mg Melatonin, Inositol and Ashwagandha. Tramadol PRN.
---- feeling great - no addl. symptoms , only 3 times something like you all list here. leg/ankle swelling still an issue, but not so much-----

6/5/2016 - All done, except for Trazadone. 50mg/nt is all. It is next, in a couple of months. No more Tramadol either - that was unintentionally, but hey, I am not complaining. I am using Kratom once or twice daily.

6/13/2016 - 25 mg of trazadone. 
Doctor is happy for me how well this is all going. :) Almost done with it all!!

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In the U.S., the book is called The Antidepressant Solution.

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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  • 2 weeks later...

I got it at the library after reading his first book oddly enough both of the books were falling apart by the time I got them I sure hope the library bought some new copies. I started to wake up reading the first one I was already off the drugs but reading what he was seeing in his patients when they were on the drugs... I could see myself as I had many of the things his patients had... twitching eyes for one that one sticks in my mind... 

 

Somebody has suggested he be the person to do the needed research.

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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I just searched his books...

The Pornographer's Grief: And Other Tales of Human Sexuality Paperback – March, 1994

A Harvard psychiatrist and expert on human sexuality shares some of his most fascinating cases, covering sexual behavior, drugs, trauma, and religious repression.

 

 

Prozac Backlash: Overcoming the Dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Other Antidepressants with Safe, Effective Alternatives Paperback – Apr 17 2001

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, a psychiatrist who has a private practice and also works for Harvard University Health Services, sees this antidepressant mania as dangerous, even reckless. He notes that these drugs can have severe side effects, including uncontrollable facial and body tics, which could be signs of severe and permanent brain damage. About 50 percent of patients suffer often-debilitating withdrawal symptoms from them, and about 60 percent end up with sexual dysfunction. And Prozac may make a small number of people homicidal or suicidal, or both.

 

 

Sexual Mysteries: Tales of PsychotherapyPaperback – Apr 20 2000 same as the other book 
by Joseph Glenmullen (Author), Robert Coles M.D. (Foreword)
I read this book under its previous title, "The Pornographer's Grief," and am glad to see it has been re-published under the title "Sexual Mysteries" (a better description of its contents). This is a charming book of insightful stories from the author's general psychiatric practice. Each of the chapters discusses a different patient in dialogue form. While these are true stories of therapy, they are so well written they read like good fiction. They provide an unusual opportunity to look in on someone else's life and their problems, how those problems play out in their sexual life (or how they are manifested in sexual symptoms), and how the problems are solved through therapy
The Antidepressant Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide to Safely Overcoming Antidepressant Withdrawal, Dependence, and "Addiction"

check this review note the author

 
Alan Stone, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Law, Harvard University, former President of the American Psychiatric Association Dr. Glenmullen has assembled from every possible source the clinical and scientific evidence that there are costs as well as benefits to Prozac and related drugs. He warns us that no one really knows the long-term consequences of these chemicals on the brain.

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

I've  been using the Glenmullen spreadsheet. It has been helpful to review the list as a prompt -- "Did I have this today?" I'm going to add a symptom to the top of my list -- "don't feel like recording symptoms" That way it's the first one I review and an easy way out.

 

Instead of a 0-10 scale for symptoms, I'm using 0=none, 1=mild, 4=moderate, 9=severe.  I could spend far too much time considering the difference between a 7 rating and an 8, so I do better with fewer, clearer categories.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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  • 1 month later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Glenmullen's list is set up to identify whether a symptom was present. You could use the checkboxes to insert a rating. 
 
I've created a simple word file (.docx) that could be used to track the timing of symptoms. 1 page/day or more if needed. 
 
Clicking this link will open a download page on the Mediafire site. If you're not using an ad-blocker, you may see a very busy page. Look for the big green rectangular download button:


Daily Symptom Tracking Template

PDF of Daily Symptom Tracking Template

Edited by scallywag
add PDF; clarify what happens when clicking

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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  • 1 month later...

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • 1 month later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

This is not Glenmullen, it is a list of Post SSRI withdrawal symptoms from Fava:

 

http://hulpgids.nl/assets/files/pdf/DESS.pdf

 

compare/contrast.  Maybe one is easier to use than the other, maybe someone will prefer this one.

 

Lots of overlap, but it's good to get confirmation that Glenmullen is not the only one who has a withdrawal symptoms list!

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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That's a really well laid out comparison chart.  Great find!  I will try and combine Glenmullen's symptoms with Fava's symptoms in a comparison chart.

* 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 was curious as to what differences there are between the two lists:

 

Fava omits:  Suicidal thoughts; Suicide attempts; Self-harm; Homicidal thoughts or urges; Manic-like reactions; Impulsivity; Electric zap-like sensations in brain; Electric shock-like sensations in body; Chest pain; Hung over or waterlogged feeling: Change in appetite

 

Fava:  Unusual sensitivity to sound     Glenmullen:  Auditory hallucinations

 

I find the majority of the omissions alarming (the first 8 specifically) considering that this is a Discontinuation-Emergent Signs and Symptoms list and the copyright is for the Massachusetts General Hospital.

* 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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Well spotted cc

I noticed Favas was about 43 symptoms and i think Glenmullen has 58 but i didnt look into what was omitted.

Gee that is disappointing to ommit all those very common things....ok lets not make it a sticky ...i'll  take that back

 

This is odd because one of my favourite quotes is this

 

Fava,  2006 published a paper citing further withdrawal symptoms, such as "agitation, anxiety, akathesia, panic attacks, irritability, aggressiveness, worsening of mood, dysphoria, crying spells or mood lability, overactivity or hyperactivity, depersonalization, decreased concentration, slowed thinking, confusion and memory/concentration difficulties." To the authors, these symptoms and their widespread recurrence looked increasingly like a drug-related syndrome.

 

I know there is  more than one Fava.

But if they are the same then surely to mention akathisia is to mention SI

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

 

 

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I'm using the Android app "Dailyo" on my smart phone and think it is great for the purpose!

You can rate different things during the day, see statistics and charts for your entries.

1988 - 2016 Different sorts antidepressants from Anafranile to Voxra. A couple of attempts to quit, but relapsed (?).

10/7 -16 From 225 mg Venlafaxin to 200 mg - No problems

31/7 -16 From 200 mg Venlafaxin to 175 mg - Minor panic attacks now and then

1/10 -16 Switched straight off from 175 mg Venlafaxin to 150 g Voxra on doctor's ordination (due to difficulties to cope with working as little as 25%)

-Bad withdrawal symptoms; dizzieness, nausea, insomnia, nighmares, heart pounding, panic attacks, malaise

4/10 -16 Continued with 150 mg Voxra and added 150 mg of Venlafaxine

5/10 -16 Removed Voxra on advice from SA, went back to 175 mg of Venlafaxine and will continue slowly tapering it out.

 

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  • 3 months later...
On 2/16/2012 at 9:02 PM, Karma said:

Admin note: Also see Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist Use this to track symptoms.


Daily Symptom Tracking Template

PDF of Daily Symptom Tracking Template

 


 


Alto suggested that I start a topic on this because I've mentioned it several times to members.

I rate my symptoms daily on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being "awful, I feel like I'm dying, I can't take it any more", 10 being "great, flipping fantastic!", a 7 is when I feel the symptom, but I can tolerate it and get through the day - so for me a 7 is acceptable. Before I decrement my dosage I want at least two weeks of 7 or better in my symptom ratings ... especially anxiety and depression.

I rate my sleep the next morning and I rate anxiety, depression, ringing in my ears, pain, etc. at night. In the morning I go through the list and rate my sleep from the night before - I make a note next to some of the other symptoms, e.g. Aches & Body Pains - slight pain in right wrist AM, Anxiety - none AM, Ringing in the ears - mild AM, moderate by noon - that way I have reminders of how I've felt throughout the day to accurately rate my symptoms in the evening.

It doesn't matter if my 7 and your 7 are different - this rating system is for you. Once you start thinking about how the specific symptom felt during the day compared to the day before, you will begin to see when a specific symptom is improving or deteriorating. I find it really helpful when I am trying to tweak thyroid treatment or determine when I'm through initial withdrawal symptoms associated with decrementing my dosage.

Below are all of the things I rate daily - note that some of these symptoms are no longer a problem for me and generally get a rating of a 10. But I started this in 2008 when I was healing from celiac disease and getting my thyroid treatment optimal from hashimoto's thyroiditis. I had bone and muscle pain, fatigue and energy challenges, so should any of those problems come back I want to be able to detect it. E.g. the wrist pain I have is tendonitis and for me it is an indicator of whether my thyroid treatment is optimal.

Aches & Body Pains, Anxiety, Appetite, Energy, Ringing in the Ears, Fatigue, Mood (flat, upside or downside of flat, joyful, irritable), Drowsiness or Sleepiness in AM or during the day, Night sweats/day sweats, and Bowels/Digestion.

You should rate your symptoms, these are just examples of my symptoms.

Karma

 

I really like this.  My husband likes to rate things and says I should do it with how I feel each morning.  I've been doing this, though not recording it.  My hubby often asks me "what's your number today?"  I've been using the opposite way of rating though (according to how bad symptoms are), so that a 2 actually means a good day.  Your records are more comprehensive than mine.  I do make notes, but they're brief and not as specific as yours.  It sounds like you do a really good job of it.

2007 - 2008          Paxil and Klonopin

2008 - 2012           Mirtazapine following CT from Klonopin and Paxil.  

2012                       Unsuccessful taper of mirtazapine; reinstated.     

7/2013 - 1/2014   Successfully tapered mirtazapine from 7.5 mg to 0.00.

 

Sertraline (Zoloft) Taper  Aug 4, 2017 - July 18, 2021 - Current dose 0.00

Alprazolam (Xanax)  July 19, 2017 - Nov 15, 2021 0.25 mg.

Began 10% taper  Nov 16, 2021 - 0.25  Jan 11, 2022 - 0.203;  Jan 13, 2023 - 0.0499;  Jan 21, 2024 - 0.0137;  Mar 17, 2024 - 0.0099;  Taper is 96% complete.

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You don't have to do it the way I do. It just needs to work for you so you can tell if you are doing better or worse. I recommend you record your experience so you can compare it. After all sometimes I can't remember how I felt 3 days ago. If you record it you have a comparison. I can't tell you how beneficial this has been for me on my journey and I still do it, today.

 

Karma

2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax

200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg
Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg;

1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg
Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor


I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers

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  • 4 months later...

Has anyone tried the app called Symple? They let you track 5 symptoms & 5 factors (activities that may relate to the symptoms) a few times a day for free, but you have to buy the app for more than that. I don't think it would be useful for me to only track five things, but it seems like the full version would be a great & convenient way to keep track of symptoms & their causes - just wanted to check in before deciding whether to go for it. Thoughts?

1998 to 2005 -  Prozac, Wellbutrin, Adderall, Concerta

2005 to 2015 - Off all meds

2015 - Started Bupropion HCL SR, 150mg 2x/day.

2016 - Taper attempt with help of Dr.; too fast (50mg jumps). Went back to 150 mg SR 2x/day

2018 - Starting taper. Feb. 23: 281.25 mg/day; March 20: 262.5 mg/day; April 18: 243.75 mg/day; May 2: 225 mg/day; May 16: 206.25 mg/day; June 5: 187.5 mg/day, June 26: 168.75 mg/day.

 

Primary non-prescription therapies: magnesium, fish oil, distance running. Occasional meditation.

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37 minutes ago, firepink said:

Has anyone tried the app called Symple?

 

I just did a google search and found this review:

 

https://bridgestreet.wordpress.com/2014/05/24/why-symple-is-the-best-symptom-tracker-ive-ever-used/

 

Some excerpts:

In the interest of disclosure, these folks aren’t paying me anything. I just find it immensely helpful.

I work in design, and I’ve had Lyme Disease for about 15 years. So intersections of tech and healthcare are always really interesting to me. This one isn’t just interesting to me on a theoretical level, though, it’s been really essential to my healthcare, on a personal level, since I found it about two years ago.

 

I tried a ton of systems – native apps, websites, good old pen and paper – and I found problems with all of them. Every digital system I found was hard to use, overly complicated, and difficult to customize. Pen and paper meant still having to type everything in somewhere to do anything with the data. When you have something you’re doing every single day, you really need to minimize the barriers to getting it done. Everything I tried felt like a chore, and I never stuck to them.

 

YOU CAN EXPORT TO A .CSV!

If you’re thinking “what’s a .csv?” then this isn’t going to be a super helpful feature to you. But if you love Excel spreadsheets like I do, you can take all of this incredibly useful data the app collects, and you can organize it however you want. I set mine up so that I can see averages for each symptom week to week, or month to month, and an overall average for both.

* 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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This is the only information I can find which mentions a price and it doesn't mention whether it is a once off or monthly cost.  I don't have a smart phone so I can't even download it so if anyone gets more information, please post about it.  Thanks.

 

Seller:  Symple Heath Inc

Size:  38.3MG

Category:  Health and Fitness

Compatibility:  Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Languages:  English

Age Rating:  Rated 4+

Copyright:  © Symple Health

Price:  Free

In-App Purchases:  Symple Complete $9.99

* 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! Sorry for not responding sooner, I missed the notification that you'd answered.

 

From what I understand it's $10 one time. I went ahead and grabbed it. I'm working on fine tuning what exactly I think I should be tracking. As far as I can tell you keep track of the factors once per day (you make a list and can choose that you did it or not) and then you can keep track of your symptoms up to every 6 hours (you click on the appropriate choice of none / mild / moderate / difficult / severe). You can keep written notes, too, but I don't think I'm going to use it for that. So far it's really fast to check in, but of course the trick is to actually do it - so the jury is definitely still out as to whether it's going to end up being useful for me. Fingers crossed!

1998 to 2005 -  Prozac, Wellbutrin, Adderall, Concerta

2005 to 2015 - Off all meds

2015 - Started Bupropion HCL SR, 150mg 2x/day.

2016 - Taper attempt with help of Dr.; too fast (50mg jumps). Went back to 150 mg SR 2x/day

2018 - Starting taper. Feb. 23: 281.25 mg/day; March 20: 262.5 mg/day; April 18: 243.75 mg/day; May 2: 225 mg/day; May 16: 206.25 mg/day; June 5: 187.5 mg/day, June 26: 168.75 mg/day.

 

Primary non-prescription therapies: magnesium, fish oil, distance running. Occasional meditation.

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