Ninfia: cold turkey from all drugs

[Ninfia]

Hello all, my name is Alicia. I'm a mother to a small child with autism. My whole mess with these medications happened before she was even born, and I am ashamed to say that I was even on celexa during my whole pregnancy with my daughter and of course I was told that celexa was perfectly safe during pregnancy, but now I wonder if her autism is related to the stupid ad. I only wish I knew the dangers of these meds long before now.

Anyways I first took celexa back in 2011 after I developed panic attacks, they also gave me clonazepam. I quit the clonazepam a little before I got pregnant with my daughter, but continued the celexa until October of 2016. In October of 2016 I was switched to Zoloft and given Ativan from a new psychiatrist. I continued to take the meds until November 23 of 2017. I just one day decided I'm sick and tired of going to psychiatrists it was becoming an inconvenience for me. So I just threw the rest of the meds down the toilet and been med free for 10 months now. I was unaware that these meds were not like other meds that you can just completely quit anytime you want, and I was flooded with weird symptoms. I have just been toughing it out for the past 10 months because I refuse to talk to doctors about anything anymore, I know they are just going to tell me to start the meds again.I know nothing will get better if I go back on them again, so instead I have turned to supplements to help with my symptoms. Insomnia and sensitivity to light and sounds are the most prevelant of my symptoms, I also been having a ton of fasciculations in my legs, something I never experienced until this withdrawal. At first I thought I was developing some motor neuron disease but now I'm just chalking it up to this withdrawal because after reading forums on this website I see just how crazy your body can get after these meds, and I wish I never started them.

[Gridley]

Welcome, Ninfia.  I'm sorry you're having these unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

To help you understand the symptoms you are experiencing, here is some information on withdrawal.  The withdrawal time doesn't necessarily correlate with the time you were on the drug.  These drugs alter the architecture of the brain, and the time necessary to heal the brain and return to homeostasis is, unfortunately, impossible to predict.  

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

 The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

When we take medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur.  

 

Youtube video, 4 minutes: Healing from antidepressants

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

While it is often a first response to stress to take a B-Complex, in withdrawal it can be overstimulating.

 

Hypersensitive to B Vitamin or B-Complex  

 

This link contains helpful information, including insomnia and also non-drug coping skills.  Some members have found Melatonin helpful with insomnia.  Start with a small dose, 1/4 or 1/2mg. 

 

 Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.  I hope you’ll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation.  I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but I am glad that you found us.

 

 

 

 

[Ninfia]

I made my signature. Thanks for all the info it will be quite helpful.

I'd say that the symptom that is bothering me most is insomnia, it seems like I can't ever get a good night's sleep anymore, and I have been off all meds for 10 months now. It's taking so long to sort itself out, everything else has shown improvement except the annoying insomnia.

[Ninfia]

I have been reading alot on this website and I now understand alot more about why my symptoms keep going away only to come back again but a little worse each time. I have learned to just deal with my insomnia each night. I'm so tired all the time, but at least energy drinks are my best friend lol. I realized I'm not nearly as bad off as everyone else on this website and have no right to complain. I do want to thank the moderaters of this site for putting all this info out there for us to learn from, if it wasn't for this website I may have went to a doctor and got put on a sleeping pill for this insomnia. But at least I know now that withdrawal insomnia can't be treated the same way as regular insomnia. Everyone keeps telling me to see a doctor about my insomnia, they don't understand that it's not that simple.

[ChessieCat]

Sleep problems - that awful withdrawal insomnia