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@freespirit been meaning to ask about a couple of symptoms -

 

1. Did you experience hypersensitivity to sensory changes that triggered irrational fear or fight / flight response? 

 

Things could be as simple as wearing socks or not, type of fabric, hot/cold air, light changes ( fallback/spring forward, overcast, light falling at a different angle), smell (strong smells, or absence of smells), sound (presence / absence of footsteps in the home). 

 

When the brain detects a change, it goes into fear mode, and can escalate to panic very quickly. It takes a day or two to adapt to the new pattern, but drastic changes are challenging, especially when there's an emotional component attached (presence/absence of a loved one).

 

2. There is another pattern that I have not seen discussed anywhere else, but I seem to have a peculiar set of symptoms that connect the sinuses/nose with the gut and legs. My gut can get stuck (typically that means gas isn't moving upwards or down), and when that happens, I also have sinus pressure/stuffy nose, and sometimes it can cause cold feet/hands. This appears to be most often triggered by heat/cold/humidity changes.  Usually, when the body adapts to the new temperature, I will have burping or gas or gut noises as a symptom of a successful switch and my sinuses clear and I have blood flow into my extremeties.

 

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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@tsranga I did have hypersensitivity to many things. I couldn't necessarily connect them to to hyperarousal of the nervous system though. Often the hyperarousal seemed random to me. However, the histamine issues also played a very large role in terms of things like feelings of panic or inability to sleep or heart palpitations. 

 

I've had all 3 types of symptoms you describe, though not all together at the same time. Again, for me, sinus issues, gut ones, as well as feelings of being cold are often histamine-related. I don't know if you've considered that as a contributor to your symptoms...but it might be worth looking into. 

 

One thing I came to over time was being less focused on the symptoms themselves and more on how I was responding to them. The more obsessed or concerned I am with them, the more likely that is to contribute to nervous system dysregulation. It doesn't mean I ignore what's happening...but more, try to respond in a more thoughtful and careful way. 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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7 hours ago, freespirit said:

I've had all 3 types of symptoms you describe, though not all together at the same time. Again, for me, sinus issues, gut ones, as well as feelings of being cold are often histamine-related. I don't know if you've considered that as a contributor to your symptoms...but it might be worth looking into.

 

Interesting..  I went through my log, and while I could correlate a histamine dump to something that I ate in early days of withdrawal, this year, food didn't seem to correlate with a histamine flare.  Mine seem to be linked to drastic changes in heat and cold exposure - the more drastic the drop or spike,  a flare was more likely.  Also, emotional stress could push it over the edge.. 

 

How about your histamine issues?    I have always wondered if the histamine builds up in the body over time, and then when it hits the threshold, it begins dumping at night (mine always happens between 11:30PM-3:30AM), and sometimes continue through the next day, before the histamine counter resets. 

 

I hear you about not getting overly focused on symptoms. I am getting better at it, but heat/cold exposure always is fraught with a sense of fear, because I am aware that it can trigger a flare.   However, I can definitely tell that my tolerance to heat and cold is much better in that, and  I don't get the extreme "unbearable" heat or cold reaction where it becomes very hard to cool down or warm up.

 

I know you mentioned emotional stress being still an issue.. I was wondering how you are able to manage it..  In my case, the most frequent emotional stressor is lack of social interaction, and visiting/returning from my birth country. It is especially challenging when I am aware that I may not have that interaction for a while.  This "I may not have something for quite a while" can trigger the fight/flight response  in other areas like change of season,  time change related to sunrise/sunset schedules, even thoughts of "being alone" at home.  

 

 

 

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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@tsranga histamine reactions to food often take some time. It isn't as though you eat something and have an immediate reaction. I like the "histamine bucket" anology 

https://drbeckycampbell.com/why-new-diet-making-you-sick/ 

 

Even if you take it out of the realm of histamine, everything we do has an impact on the nervous system---everything. From the time we spend on our devices, to what we eat, how we spend our time, etc. We can't change the heat or cold outside, nor the environmental allergy factors. What we have input on is our responses. 

 

I'm doing the same things that I've done all along to help deal with stress and distress. I do daily mindfulness meditation and qi gong, eat carefully, have regular forms of exercise, spend time with people I feel safe with, enjoy learning, reading and exploring, take supplements that help me, rest as needed, use a weighted blanket sometimes, listen to music, cuddle my cats. For me, the most important thing is doing my best to really listen to my body and respond to what it needs. That's often inconvenient and does not fit a pattern of how most people live their lives. But going against my body's needs is a recipe for disaster. 

 

Mindfulness meditation isn't always the panacea that it is promoted to be. But used carefully, it can help untangle those things that result in a stress response. Plus, it helps in coping with stress responses--to not react as much, to bring self-compassion, and in bringing greater awareness to the body and what it needs. 

 

As I've said before, I suffered from severe abuse and neglect in childhood. This, no doubt, has complicated recovery from antidepressants. I'm working as much with that as I am with the experience of WD and histamine. 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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15 hours ago, freespirit said:

istamine reactions to food often take some time. It isn't as though you eat something and have an immediate reaction. I like the "histamine bucket" anology 

https://drbeckycampbell.com/why-new-diet-making-you-sick/ 

 

Even if you take it out of the realm of histamine, everything we do has an impact on the nervous system---everything. From the time we spend on our devices, to what we eat, how we spend our time, etc. We can't change the heat or cold outside, nor the environmental allergy factors. What we have input on is our responses.

 

I have come to the same conclusions, and what I was trying to say was in my experience, food isn't contributing to the histamine dumps as much after I started working on healing the gut, especially in the last few months.  I am well aware of the histamine bucket, and having read more articles about histamine intolerance than I care for, I still haven't been able to find an answer to my question about what happens after a histamine dump, if we assume that the histamine dump is triggered when the bucket overflows..  Does the histamine bucket become empty, and builds up again over time or the only way to empty the bucket is to go back on a strict low histamine diet..   In my experience, I get the worst nightly histamine flares about once in 3-4 weeks and it takes 1-2 days to stabilize.

 

How often are your histamine dumps if you still have them?  I find them consistently correlating with drastic variations in temperature.

 

 

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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@tsranga it's great that you've had such gut healing and aren't so affected by food. I don't know that there's a standard answer to your questions about the bucket and histamine dump. Even within myself, there are no consistent patterns. Everything for me is a changeable variable. Things tend to go in some kind of cycles, which often have no rhyme or reason. I suspect a lot of the variables are environmental. I spend a lot of time outdoors, usually exercising and am sure that things like molds and pollens affect me. 

 

I've gone through periods of being able to eat virtually anything I want, including gluten. But, for whatever reason (likely a combination of many things), I am back to eating much more carefully and no gluten at all. I can't even answer your question about frequency of histamine flareups. The nervous system dysregulation from childhood trauma can produce many of the same symptoms that histamine does. And often, I sense there is a lot of overlap between the 2 of them. I have sometimes gone months without any major histamine symptoms at all...and times where symptoms are happening more often. 

 

Also, the things that used to happen more often--hives, nasal and eye irritation are much more infrequent now. There are more emotional ones instead...but again, this greatly overlaps with trauma. I've been doing a lot of intense trauma healing in the past couple of years and suspect this is part of the more recent things I'm dealing with. 

 

I would say that for me, the histamine bucket doesn't empty down to nothing after a dump. Instead, those times are usually ones in which triggers happen more easily and I need to eat more carefully and reduce stress as much as possible. 

 

Histamine issues are also very much seasonal for me. I can eat some foods with no problem at some times of year and not at all at others. Spring and fall typically bring more symptoms. But this year, due to intense heat and smoke, plus the stressors of covid--summer was probably my most difficult season. 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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10 hours ago, freespirit said:

Even within myself, there are no consistent patterns. Everything for me is a changeable variable. Things tend to go in some kind of cycles, which often have no rhyme or reason. I suspect a lot of the variables are environmental

This is exactly how I feel. 

 

How often do you get the histamine dumps in fall/spring? In my case a dump typically means multiple BMs along with gas/GERD and frequent urination,  feet paresthesia, more Fight/Flight and Fear!  I typically used to get it about 1-2 times a month, but this week has been pretty bad.  I have stayed away from alcohol and sugar in withdrawal, but it is holiday season, and it appears as though both the weather and food (mostly sugar) have taken a toll.

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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@tsranga I don't have answers to your questions, as I've already explained. I don't keep track of how often these things happen. I no longer have histamine dumps as you describe. It's more of an overall sense of increased histamine--it's more subtle. Plus, as I've already said--there's a lot of overlap between trauma and histamine. Much of the time, it's impossible to distinguish. 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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Freespirit-Thank you for your detailed and well thought-out story .

 

It was very encouraging for me to read.  Especially at my own 61 years of age.

 

I am hoping to bridge with Prozac  and wean off of the 20 mgs.of Paxil I am on to have a better glimpse of the woman I left behind in shadows 21 years ago.

 

Thank you .

 

 

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2 hours ago, freespirit said:

@tsranga I don't have answers to your questions, as I've already explained. I don't keep track of how often these things happen. I no longer have histamine dumps as you describe. It's more of an overall sense of increased histamine--it's more subtle. Plus, as I've already said--there's a lot of overlap between trauma and histamine. Much of the time, it's impossible to distinguish. 

 @freespiritthank you so much for this information.  That really helps me to understand my symptom patterns.   It does confirm that in my case, whenever the gut isn't moving normally,  I can end up with this type of flare.  Whether it's from histamine or something else is the big question :)..  

 

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Freespirit - A Life Free from Antidepressants

@tsranga I'm glad my response was helpful. Best of luck to you. 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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@3Shadows thanks for your message. I'm grateful that my story has been useful for you and hope that it continues to provide encouragement. WD at any stage of life I imagine is a challenge, but perhaps more so as we age. 

 

I wish you well with the Prozac bridge and withdrawal from that. I've been so amazed and happy to find that my authentic self was still there under the meds. It's not an easy or straightforward journey, but it can be a very rewarding one. Even with the difficulties I still deal with on a daily basis, I'm profoundly grateful to no longer be on meds. 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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3 hours ago, freespirit said:

@tsranga I'm glad my response was helpful. Best of luck to you. 

 

@freespirit thank you.  Is it ok if I reach out to you to compare notes as we progress?   It is so hard to find people on a similar journey. Most don't understand.

 

Just an update -  I am noticing a very consistent symptomatic pattern depending on the weather changes..  Temperature drops seem to trigger the flare ups at night (reflux, upper body heat, gas, multiple BMs, poor gut motility), while temperature spikes seem to cause daytime issues (sinus pressure, temp sensitivity, cold feet, lightheadedness, blurry vision, more gut movement).   More than the highs (day or night), it is the daytime and nightime lows that seem to have this effect.  

 

So it does seem to be related to the body's vasodilation/vasoconstriction functioning in response to the weather that is causing most of my symptoms.

 

Also noticing that over the last week, I have been having more sugar, chocolates, and alcohol, and much more social interaction.  The alcohol isn't much, but compared to my normal consumption of maybe one glass in a month or two, it's high.  That seems to be triggering my old novelty seeking behavior, which puts me into a state where I ignore all the so called "boring" things/routine, and want to try something new (new trails etc.), and more concerningly, when I don't get to do something new, I have to fight with the brain.     Fortunately, I have gotten more aware of my patterns, so I could catch this and just let it pass over :)..  

 

It's fascinating to see the addictive patterns of the brain in response to external stimuli.. 

 

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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@tsranga it's fine to check in sometimes. The recovery journey can be lonely at times. 

 

I think it's great that you are seeing these patterns--both external and internal. Any clarity can prove helpful in riding the waves or making changes as necessary. 

 

I react more to the weather system changes, rather than the temperatures I think. And living in a place where they say, "if you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes".....well the system changes are happening very often, to say the least. For example, I've had more headaches and even migraines here. Friends who have never been on antidepressants suffer from them too. The closest city has been called, "the migraine capital" of the country. 

 

I've found for myself, with things like routine vs change...a need for balancing. It's not always easy finding balance though. But I find I can become too fixed in mind by doing the same things over and over. But changing too quickly can put my nervous system into dysregulation. I've found mindfulness meditation to be such an important piece in terms of really listening to the body and finding what the current state of balance needs to be. 

 

Wishing you well with your journey. 

 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

@freespirit I was searching for gastroperisis as a symptom, and I found that you had mentioned it in one of your posts.

 

Over the last week, I have had a GI flare - multiple BMs from 1:30-5:30am and then reflux/burping from 11:30-3:30am, and also been noticing cold feet in the afternoons that seem to coincide with gastroperisis like symptoms (gut not moving).  The cold feet occurs between 12-5pm, but If I lie down and breathe, I can get the gut moving, and the legs feel better in the evening. At night, I still feel that the gut is stuck, and interrupts my sleep, although I don't get the cold feet that often at night.

 

Even since I stopped mirtazapine CT, the gastroperisis like symptoms coincide with the extremities going hot or cold, and most of the time it flares when there is a drastic temperature change.

 

wondering if you had these two symptoms and if they have fully resolved. 

 

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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The other interesting thing that I notice when lying down is that  leg movement/progressive muscle relaxation/diapghrammatic breathing seems to get the gut moving, and also get the blood flowing into the feet.

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 8/6/2018 at 10:34 PM, freespirit said:

Throughout tapering I had many of the typical symptoms: anxiety, depression, mood swings, obsessive thoughts, extreme anger, crying spells, muscle and joint pain, headaches (sometimes migraines), dizziness, nausea, vomiting, poor digestion, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, tinnitus, blurry vision, anhedonia, existential loneliness, disorientation, chills and fever, extreme blood sugar swings (I am diabetic), low energy, hives, sneezing. Most of these continued off and on after I'd jumped off as well.

 

 

 

I know this is old but something that's new for me to deal with, is my blood sugar has been kind of wonky. Fasting is ok but my body does not react well to food. It's worse when carbs/sugar but I struggle with any food. My blood sugar spikes very quickly and then drops low, very quickly. It seems unstable, and Im working with a doctor, but can WD cause this instability in the body's ability to cope with blood sugar levels?

Luvox (2015, 100mg)

Xanax (2018, 1mg as needed)

Pristiq (2018 for 3 weeks then ended CT)

Gabapentin (2018)

Lyrica (2018)

**Weaned off all drugs except Luvox between 2019-2020**

Luvox (2020 increased to 300mg)

Luvox (2021 decreased to various levels between 200-125; 2021 100-150 around my period for PMDD; Late September 2021: Start weaning off 100mg;September ?-Oct 3 Various dosages between 100 and 75 recommended by doctor; October 3-8: 75mg (various doses through the day for w/d.; October 9-18: 50mg; October 20-29: 37.5mg; October 30-Nov 1: 25mg; November 2-November 19: Back to 37.5mg; November 20-December 4: 31.25mg; December 4-December 21: 25mg;December 21-December 23: up-dosed to 31.25mg doing 6.25 in the morning and 25mg at night; 12/23-present: 6.25mg Luvox AM/25 mg Luvox PM; 0.0625mg of Xanax at 8 AM, 2 PM and 8 PM.)

 

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On 11/23/2021 at 4:20 PM, tsranga said:

@freespirit I was searching for gastroperisis as a symptom, and I found that you had mentioned it in one of your posts.

 

Over the last week, I have had a GI flare - multiple BMs from 1:30-5:30am and then reflux/burping from 11:30-3:30am, and also been noticing cold feet in the afternoons that seem to coincide with gastroperisis like symptoms (gut not moving).  The cold feet occurs between 12-5pm, but If I lie down and breathe, I can get the gut moving, and the legs feel better in the evening. At night, I still feel that the gut is stuck, and interrupts my sleep, although I don't get the cold feet that often at night.

 

Even since I stopped mirtazapine CT, the gastroperisis like symptoms coincide with the extremities going hot or cold, and most of the time it flares when there is a drastic temperature change.

 

wondering if you had these two symptoms and if they have fully resolved. 

 

 

I still have the feeling of my gut moving more slowly and cold feet at times. I'd consider these histamine symptoms and are most often diet related. Sometimes, the cause is likely due to stress as well.

 

I started doing breathwork for relaxation about a month ago. That's made a very big difference in many symptoms. As I've said before  my primary focus is on healing.

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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On 12/25/2021 at 8:27 PM, UnusualRoom said:

 

I know this is old but something that's new for me to deal with, is my blood sugar has been kind of wonky. Fasting is ok but my body does not react well to food. It's worse when carbs/sugar but I struggle with any food. My blood sugar spikes very quickly and then drops low, very quickly. It seems unstable, and Im working with a doctor, but can WD cause this instability in the body's ability to cope with blood sugar levels?

WD definitely contributed to blood sugar fluctuations. I hope your doctor understands something about WD. 

 

I've had blood sugar problems throughout my life--mostly hypoglycemia. But Mirtazapine and a car accident made it much worse. I've come to understand there's a strong relationship between histamine and blood sugar.

 

I made some significant changes in my diet in the past few months. I cut carbs by at least 1/3 of what I used to eat. That's helped to stabilize things. I eat very little sugar or simple carbs.

 

Not sure if I posted this before, but a new GP took the diabetes diagnosis off my chart. For the past 6 years, I've had blood sugar readings of a non-diabetic. I believe Mirt was the most significant cause of high blood sugar. 

 

I don't know about the drug you took , but it might be worth investigating whether histamine is an issue for you.

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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1 minute ago, freespirit said:

WD definitely contributed to blood sugar fluctuations. I hope your doctor understands something about WD. 

 

I've had blood sugar problems throughout my life--mostly hypoglycemia. But Mirtazapine and a car accident made it much worse. I've come to understand there's a strong relationship between histamine and blood sugar.

 

I made some significant changes in my diet in the past few months. I cut carbs by at least 1/3 of what I used to eat. That's helped to stabilize things. I eat very little sugar or simple carbs.

 

Not sure if I posted this before, but a new GP took the diabetes diagnosis off my chart. For the past 6 years, I've had blood sugar readings of a non-diabetic. I believe Mirt was the most significant cause of high blood sugar. 

 

I don't know about the drug you took , but it might be worth investigating whether histamine is an issue for you.

 

I've definitely investigated the histamine issue, though it's all fairly complicated. When I started having issues, there were a billion different diets to try, all with different foods. 

 

My doctor doesn't understand, well, anything frankly. I've tried switching but it's the same story-they want to be home by 5 P.M. and I don't live in a decently sized town with a lot of options. 

 

Your input has some great info though, I appreciate it.

Luvox (2015, 100mg)

Xanax (2018, 1mg as needed)

Pristiq (2018 for 3 weeks then ended CT)

Gabapentin (2018)

Lyrica (2018)

**Weaned off all drugs except Luvox between 2019-2020**

Luvox (2020 increased to 300mg)

Luvox (2021 decreased to various levels between 200-125; 2021 100-150 around my period for PMDD; Late September 2021: Start weaning off 100mg;September ?-Oct 3 Various dosages between 100 and 75 recommended by doctor; October 3-8: 75mg (various doses through the day for w/d.; October 9-18: 50mg; October 20-29: 37.5mg; October 30-Nov 1: 25mg; November 2-November 19: Back to 37.5mg; November 20-December 4: 31.25mg; December 4-December 21: 25mg;December 21-December 23: up-dosed to 31.25mg doing 6.25 in the morning and 25mg at night; 12/23-present: 6.25mg Luvox AM/25 mg Luvox PM; 0.0625mg of Xanax at 8 AM, 2 PM and 8 PM.)

 

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7 hours ago, freespirit said:

I still have the feeling of my gut moving more slowly and cold feet at times. I'd consider these histamine symptoms and are most often diet related. Sometimes, the cause is likely due to stress as well.

 

I started doing breathwork for relaxation about a month ago. That's made a very big difference in many symptoms. As I've said before  my primary focus is on healing.

Thanks. It doesn't feel like it is diet related. In fact, I am now recovering from COVID, and when I was having fever at the peak 12 days back, all my dysautonomia symptoms went away - I was hungry, ate mostly leftovers that week, and had good sleep.  But now I am dealing with post-COVID GI issues that remind me of how it was this summer - more visceral sensitivity, slow gut, high BP at night.  This feels like a delayed immune system response after fighting off the initial infection, and the autonomic issues are back (mainly vasodilation/vasoconstriction triggering changes to blood flow/pressure). 

 

I have been doing breathwork for 3 years now, and while it helps deal with the symptoms as they arise, the body is still struggling to adapt to what's being thrown at it.  I am amazed how resilient it is. 

 

Have you looked at thiamine deficiency?   There is a theory that could be behind dysautonomia symptoms.  

 

https://www.hormonesmatter.com/hypertension-the-autonomic-system-and-thiamine/

 

Edited by tsranga

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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@tsrangaI haven't read that theory before. I suspect there could be hundreds, if not thousands, of possible explanations for what we are going through. I long ago gave up on trying to analyze it, because that brought no answers for how to best live my life.

 

That's pretty interesting that you had relief from symptoms during Covid. But I think it makes sense that you've seen an increase again afterwards. That is often the case for me following big stressors --a delayed response. It's also possible that the leftovers and eating whatever you wanted have had an impact. 

 

I spend a minimum of 2 hours/day doing breathwork, meditation, and qi gong. Doing what matters most to me happens to be things that help regulate the nervous system---this is the most important part of my recovery. Even if relief is sometimes temporary, I know I'm moving in the right direction. If dysregulation is a large part of symptoms (which is the case for me), then treating the dysregulation only makes sense. 

 

I've had some good success with supplements--part of the time. There have also been times in which they've made things a lot worse. So, I try to eat as healthy as possible, and only take supplements which have proven tried and true. It's only recently that I've felt able to add in a few more things, which have really helped. But I consider very carefully before reading something and assuming I'm deficient or think it will somehow fix the problems. I've found that every single part of my life affects regulation--from friendships to diet to what I watch on TV. It's only been by addressing each part that healing is happening. 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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@UnusualRoom I looked up Luvox and it apparently hits the same histamine receptors as Mirtazapine does. The issues around histamine are indeed, complex. I found the best site was https://healinghistamine.com/ for providing information. But, most importantly, is learning to read one's own body and learn what foods help or hinder. Plus, what works at one time doesn't necessarily work at another. It's like riding a surfboard--not always easy to maintain balance.  

 

It seems highly unlikely that we'd find a gp who knew anything about WD or the implications of it. That's why I've found it necessary to take everything into my own hands. My gp is there if I need an x-ray or blood tests, but know there is very little that she is useful for beyond that. 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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1 hour ago, freespirit said:

@tsrangaI haven't read that theory before. I suspect there could be hundreds, if not thousands, of possible explanations for what we are going through. I long ago gave up on trying to analyze it, because that brought no answers for how to best live my life.

 

That's pretty interesting that you had relief from symptoms during Covid. But I think it makes sense that you've seen an increase again afterwards. That is often the case for me following big stressors --a delayed response. It's also possible that the leftovers and eating whatever you wanted have had an impact. 

 

I spend a minimum of 2 hours/day doing breathwork, meditation, and qi gong. Doing what matters most to me happens to be things that help regulate the nervous system---this is the most important part of my recovery. Even if relief is sometimes temporary, I know I'm moving in the right direction. If dysregulation is a large part of symptoms (which is the case for me), then treating the dysregulation only makes sense. 

 

I've had some good success with supplements--part of the time. There have also been times in which they've made things a lot worse. So, I try to eat as healthy as possible, and only take supplements which have proven tried and true. It's only recently that I've felt able to add in a few more things, which have really helped. But I consider very carefully before reading something and assuming I'm deficient or think it will somehow fix the problems. I've found that every single part of my life affects regulation--from friendships to diet to what I watch on TV. It's only been by addressing each part that healing is happening. 

 

I completely agree with everything you have said and I am following a very similar path to my healing..  

 

2 hours of yoga, meditation, frequent diapghrammatic breathing, and a good diet are all part of it. I am also very careful about supplements and the only ones I have are when I have a known deficiency - vit B complex, VIt D, magnesium and Vit C. 

 

However, despite that, I am observing some patterns in my symptoms that I am trying to understand the triggers - weather change, diet, something else.. 

 

My latest pattern now is increasing BP at night before sleep between 10:30 and 2:30am, and then a gradual dip to normal by the morning.  When it increases, I find that there is generally a lot more gut activity - reflux, gas, peeing, BMs, and my legs, hands and core start feeling hot. That means now I cannot use the typical layers of covering, and I have to wait until the BP starts going down. Once it normalizes, everything settles down and I can go to sleep. 

 

This pattern typically occurs maybe 1-2 days in a month and usually a drastic weather change triggers it.  Almost always it has to do with pressure in the gut and external pressure.  So, obviously when the gut is recovering from COVID, post COVID symptoms like IBS and gastroperisis (which I already have) can flare up.

 

While I accept that my body is still very sensitive to heat/cold/pressure, and l have checked all the boxes to support it, I  continue to look for ways to support the body as it heals, especially when something isn't helping much.

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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@tsranga it sounds like you're doing a lot to help with your recovery. It must be difficult dealing with IBS on top of the wd symptoms. 

 

Of course the weather changes are beyond our control. All we can do is respond the best we can at the time. It sounds like the sleep problems are more in the symptoms earlier on preventing you from dropping off? 

 

For me, it's generally the opposite. I can fall asleep fine most of the time, but am sometimes woken up between 3-5. I've had a few rounds of increased sneezing and congestion around that time. When I cut back on soy, that goes away. 

 

I know that Quercetin has not been recommended on this site--or at least that was the case in the past. For me, that's been one of the most essential supplements....it's helped enormously with a lot of the histamine symptoms. I also take Vit C with it, as it works better combined. I hesitate to suggest supplements to anyone, given sensitivity. So, I'm just saying it's been very important for my healing. 

 

I've mostly found that when symptoms become more pronounced, there are often multiple causes. Weather is a factor when it's more unsettled. But if other things are going well, weather has much less of an impact. Same for food. If my system is better regulated and there aren't other stressors, I can eat more widely and not be concerned. 

 

 

 

 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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1 hour ago, freespirit said:

 

Of course the weather changes are beyond our control. All we can do is respond the best we can at the time. It sounds like the sleep problems are more in the symptoms earlier on preventing you from dropping off? 

 

It really depends - if I can fall asleep by 9-10, then I can sleep through or wakeup and go right back to sleep. But there are nights when I know that the gut is stuck, which means that until it clears, I have to stay awake.. most nights, I clears up in 15-20 mi after a BM and some burping, but when it stays stuck, I am up until 2-3am. Most days I can sleep through the  early morning hours, but if the gut is off, I wakeup around 5 and then it's a sleep/wake conflict with lot of thoughts for a couple of hours.

 

In my case, I definitely seems to be related to vasodilation vasoconstriction in response to hear/cold/pressure. For example the last two days we have sunshine after 19 days,and my sinuses and head is constantly pulsing.. it takes a while.to settle down.

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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  • 9 months later...
On 8/9/2018 at 7:26 PM, freespirit said:

I forgot to mention and I also had many of the cognitive symptoms for a long while--memory problems, concentration, general cog fog. Things got quite a bit better when I started working again, as I had to focus, learn new computer programs, interact more with people and so on. For a long time, I'd read and not be able to remember a thing I read. Now I'm back to being able to have several different books on the go and not only remember, but take far more enjoyment from reading. Since I'm not working right now, my brain isn't as sharp as it was. But still think I'm doing okay.

 

The other thing I wanted to add was that I wish these stories were titled "recovery stories" rather than "success stories". Maybe it's just me, but it feels more realistic to assume that I'm in a recovery process, rather than having achieved some permanent state. I imagine that stress or other things could bring up some of the symptoms again. If I think of this as recovery, then it's easier to take the ups and downs in stride. Maybe just semantics, but I find choice of words can influence not only how I see things, but the emotions and thoughts that surround them.

First of all, thank you for giving us your moving and inspiring story.  I agree that being in a state of recovery is the success and seems like a more accurate way to reflect on your circumstances and the slow emerging that continues.  

Aug. 2005 - Mar. 2017  Remeron 60mg

Aug. 2019 to Nov. 2020 Lyrica 75mg
Nov. 2020 to Jan. 2021 Remeron 15mg  0.5mg Clonazepam use as needed

Jan. to Oct. 2021 Remeron reduced to 7.5mg  

Oct. 2021 Remeron reduced to 3.75mg 

July 16-20, 2022  4-day trial stopping Remeron 

July 21-22, 2022. resumed 3.75mg Remeron

July 23-27, 2022  4-day trial stopping Remeron 

July 27-31, 2022. resumed 3.75mg Remeron

Aug. 1-14, 2022 went cold turkey off 3.75 mg Remeron/mirtazapine.  FAILED stopping.  

Aug. 15-19, 2022 tried to reinstate 3.75mg of Remeron but FAILED.    

Aug.  18 to present, 2022  now trying to stabilize on very low doses <3.75mg of Remeron.   

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  • 2 months later...

Dear freespirit, thank you for sharing your experiences and your thoughts. I admire the simple way in which you write such a wisdom. I wanted to let you know I am grateful for reading your words. I feel I can learn so much from you.

 

I discovered SA few years ago, I read most of the success stories but not yours. I found your thread searching for quercetin since I learned today it was somehow related to passionflower which somehow is helping my aunt. I tapered her 3 years ago properly and she was fine until anti estrogen drug was introduced in her therapy few months ago as a part of her breast cancer treatment. 

 

I took quercetin myself few years ago in order to prevent covid. When I look at that period today it looks to me that it could have been taking care of my wd. I even think my joint and muscle pain did not bother me as it does these mornings. I have never connected the dots before but I actually thought I was over with wd at that time and was thinking I was about to write success story. I need to investigate this more since my present bad condition could easily be connected with life circumstances (disability, social isolation) or menopause as well. 

 

I find these quotes waiting for me to read it and think about it. Thank you.

 

On 12/31/2021 at 5:59 PM, freespirit said:

I haven't read that theory before. I suspect there could be hundreds, if not thousands, of possible explanations for what we are going through. I long ago gave up on trying to analyze it, because that brought no answers for how to best live my life.

 

On 10/3/2022 at 11:27 AM, Patrickdot said:

The other thing I wanted to add was that I wish these stories were titled "recovery stories" rather than "success stories". Maybe it's just me, but it feels more realistic to assume that I'm in a recovery process, rather than having achieved some permanent state

 

3/2012 - sertralin 50 mg, no major side effects

1/2014 - ct sertralin 50 mg (tappered 3 weeks as doctor ordered)

7/2014 - back to sertalin 50 mg, no issues

4/2016 - ct sertralin 50 mg (tappered 3 weeks, my decision)

12/2016 - back to sertalin, major side effects from the first pill and the begginning of hell

2/2017 - mirtazepine 15 mg added for insomnia

6/2017 - stopped sertralin (2 months tapper)

9/2017 - stopped mirtazepine (3 weeks taper)

waves and windows

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@persistenteI appreciate your thoughts. It always encourages me when someone finds something useful in my experiences. 

 

It sounds like you're dealing with multiple possibilities, which makes it difficult to tease out what is what. I read recently that the largest majority of people who are diagnosed with histamine intolerance are middle-aged women. It's speculated that it's due to hormonal changes because of menopause. But I also wonder how many of us have been on antidepressants, particularly those that affect the histamine receptors--as mirtazapine does. 

 

Quercetin can have an anti-inflammatory effect, so it makes sense that it can help with joint pain. I continue to take it several times a day, as it helps on a number of levels. I would most likely be a lot more restricted in my diet without it. 

 

I think we can still feel successful in terms of withdrawal if there are still symptoms. I guess it depends on what our definition of success is. I believe there's a great accomplishment in being able to come off the drugs and stay off them. I consider it one of my most important achievements. 

 

I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts. 

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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