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Diet and Healing


Shanti

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Has anyone heard of the Macrobiotic Diet?

 

It's a diet philosophy that involves the yin/yang balance of our bodies, and the yin/yang balance of our organs in our body. If an organ in our body is too yang, then you'd eat foods that would correct that. You can find books and a lot of information on the internet.

 

From Cybermacro Articles:

 

Yin foods that are detrimental to mental health:

 

Drugs, alcohol, milk, ice cream, whipped cream, sugar, honey, fruits (especially tropical fruits), fruit juices, raw oil, mayonnaise, cider and wine vinegars, potatoes, tomatoes, carbonated beverages, carob, canola oil, and (unfortunately for women) chocolate (!) as well as chemically processed foods home care and body care products, (especially hair bleaches, colors and permanents.).

 

Yang foods that are detrimental to mental health:

 

These include meat, cheese, eggs, poultry, baked flour—salt, hard baked bread, deep-fried food, salty crackers and chips, as well as too much dry, pressure-cooked rice without balancing factors.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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Macrobiotic Diet to Nourish the Brain

 

Balance of Nutrients with Macrobiotic Diet.

 

Brain consists of water, fat and protein. Techniques to improve brain energy with foods by manage balance of nutrients.

 

Sip water throughout the day.

 

Brain cells is the incorporation of a large cell group. The water element is about 70-80 percent of working with data transmission by the fibers of the brain cells. Dehydration condition will shrink the size of the fibers to smaller to slow data transmission, “Water is one of the key factors for the brain” If you drink less water each day can cause dehydration in the cells effective to functioning of the brain decreases.

 

Fat and protein.

 

The addition of water, then we also need to eat good fats. To encourage the brain to build new fiber has good fats include olive oil, which you can put into your food in each meal, Flax seed is fortified with vitamins and eat foods that contain protein include tofu, fish, seafood. In addition, each day you should eat fruits and vegetables a lot to addition of anti-oxidant substance for your body.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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  • 5 years later...

Can anyone share their diet changes and successes?  I'm about 25 months out.  Healing very slowly, but would love to alleviate some symptoms if possible.  I'm in a pretty tense state most of the day.  I have this tight tension band stretching from the bottom teeth, all the way up to the top of the forehead.  It's on all day sometime throbbing and vibrating along with my heartbeat.  Sometimes after a meal, the tense state and throbbing gets a lot worse, but it's not consistent.  Sometimes a particular food will do it and others not.  Strangely I do not do very will with pork chops or rib meat.  

 

Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

Thanks

1996-2014 - 3mg Clonazepam - Started weaning off in 2010, took 4 years.  All is fine.

2010-2014 - 30mg - 180mg percocets per day.  Quit CT in 2014.  All is fine.

2010-2014 - Mixed in Suboxen while not on percs... 8mg-32mg per day.  Quit CT in 2014.  All is fine (I think)  Opiates don't fully work yet.

2015 - Quit smoking weed, all is fine.

2015- Stopped drinking, all is fine.

2015-  Stopped drinking coffee, all is fine.

2010-2014 - 10mg of Lexapro for first 2 years, then 15mg for another 2 years

Quit over 3 week period - still experiencing bad withdrawal, but very slowly getting better... too slow.  

9/4/2015 - Reinstated 1mg liquid Lexapro.  So far, it's not helping... maybe hurting but not sure yet.

9/5/2015 - Stopped the 1mg, made it worse.  I will ride it out, currently drug free.

 

"The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory"

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  • 3 months later...
  • Mentor

what we eat can have a huge impact on how we feel and how healthy we are in general.
A lot of ppl don't want to hear this; they want to keep eating the foods they know are not good for them, and kind of expect that magically, they will be healthy in spite of eating unhealthy foods.

 

 

but sometimes you can get "lucky" and counteract a less healthy food choice with something else

 

check this out:
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-prevent-blood-sugar-and-triglyceride-spikes-after-meals/?utm_source=NutritionFacts.org&utm_campaign=9f8bfd4891-RSS_VIDEO_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_40f9e497d1-9f8bfd4891-23428565&mc_cid=9f8bfd4891&mc_eid=18558a9b97

 

"Within hours of eating an unhealthy meal, we can get a spike in inflammation, crippling our artery function, thickening our blood, and causing a fight-or-flight nerve response. But there are foods we can eat at every meal to counter this reaction."

 

(emphasis mine)

 

What we put in our bodies has a huge affect on how we feel. We all know that already, as far as chemicals/drugs go, or we wouldn't be here:/

 

the same is true for the other things we put in our bodies, the foods and beverages we eat/drink.

 

 

It causes me a lot of pain as well as frustration when I see loved ones feeling poorly and I am SURE that if they just made a few simple changes to their diets, they would feel a LOT better.

 

but, you can't tell people what to do, of course.

I just hope that people, esp those close to me, my family and friends, will educate themselves and maybe try to make a few changes so that they'll live longer and be healthier.

So many ppl eat the Standard American Diet and get the Standard America Diseases, and that's beyond SAD, it's tragic and it's preventable

 

 

and that's the end of my rant, stepping off my soap box now

LOL


and in case you're wondering, I am the poster child for a poor diet, I nearly lived on sugar and fat for most of my life.
I've changed my diet radically in the past few years, and the better my diet gets, the better I feel.

 

I now realize that not only was a large part of my life spent being over medicated, it was also spent being far less healthy than I could have been, IF I'd just taken more responsibility for what I put into my mouth.

 

 

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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what we eat can have a huge impact on how we feel and how healthy we are in general.

A lot of ppl don't want to hear this; they want to keep eating the foods they know are not good for them, and kind of expect that magically, they will be healthy in spite of eating unhealthy foods.

 

 

but sometimes you can get "lucky" and counteract a less healthy food choice with something else

 

check this out:

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-prevent-blood-sugar-and-triglyceride-spikes-after-meals/?utm_source=NutritionFacts.org&utm_campaign=9f8bfd4891-RSS_VIDEO_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_40f9e497d1-9f8bfd4891-23428565&mc_cid=9f8bfd4891&mc_eid=18558a9b97

 

"Within hours of eating an unhealthy meal, we can get a spike in inflammation, crippling our artery function, thickening our blood, and causing a fight-or-flight nerve response. But there are foods we can eat at every meal to counter this reaction."

 

(emphasis mine)

 

What we put in our bodies has a huge affect on how we feel. We all know that already, as far as chemicals/drugs go, or we wouldn't be here:/

 

the same is true for the other things we put in our bodies, the foods and beverages we eat/drink.

 

 

It causes me a lot of pain as well as frustration when I see loved ones feeling poorly and I am SURE that if they just made a few simple changes to their diets, they would feel a LOT better.

 

but, you can't tell people what to do, of course.

I just hope that people, esp those close to me, my family and friends, will educate themselves and maybe try to make a few changes so that they'll live longer and be healthier.

So many ppl eat the Standard American Diet and get the Standard America Diseases, and that's beyond SAD, it's tragic and it's preventable

 

 

and that's the end of my rant, stepping off my soap box now

LOL

 

 

and in case you're wondering, I am the poster child for a poor diet, I nearly lived on sugar and fat for most of my life.

I've changed my diet radically in the past few years, and the better my diet gets, the better I feel.

 

I now realize that not only was a large part of my life spent being over medicated, it was also spent being far less healthy than I could have been, IF I'd just taken more responsibility for what I put into my mouth.

 

Totally agree catnap. I generally eat well but chocolate bars  and crisps have crept back in ,time to be much more strict with myself

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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I have developed an unhealthy / odd habit of suddenly craving sweets before bed on nights where my symptoms have seemingly abated (I am in an odd pattern where I can be in a bad anxiety wave all day, and then feel normal around 8pm in the evening). I feel good, want to treat myself (especially after eating well all day!), grab some cake or a donut or ice cream - and BOOM! - immediately feel guilty. And then the next morning, I have my anxiety wave, usually worse than the day before.

 

My own worst enemy...

 

SJ

Main thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/14472-shakeyjerr-say-hello/

History: Prozac & Lithium from 1999 to 2003. Ended up back on after 4 months because taking a beta-blocker caused immediate depression (just 2 doses - turned out I didn't even need it; I had no other withdrawal symptoms - I might have ended up med and withdrawal-free otherwise :(). - Switched to Effexor (75mg 3/day) and Seroquel (50mg 3/day) in 2010. - Did a self-taper during 2016. - Developed Discontinuation Syndrome 02/17.

Supplements: Magnesium-Glycinate 400mg split into 4 100mg doses throughout the day. Vitamin C 500mg - once per day. Fish Oil 1360 mg (950 mg Active Omega-3) - twice per day.

I'm not a doctor. I use the internet, experience, and trial & error. Seek medical advice if necessary.

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I wonder is it something to do with impulse control ,if that gets totally worn away from withdrawl stress.

i was thinking im great 2 years off alcohol ,but lately i have no thought process and control and junk just shoveled down my throat .

Time to get back on the wagon and think more clearly .

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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  • Mentor

powerback,  I think it's ok to have a treat once in awhile. Even on the strict diet I follow, I"m allowed 10% of less healthy foods daily, if I want.

Oh yeh, impulse control- I sometimes have more now than I did when I was overmedicated, and sometimes I have less. And I can't figure out why that is. hmmm.....

 

 

ShakeyJerr  oh yes I hear you, going thru WD we really NEED to treat ourselves once in a while. But sometimes that means eating a salad that will make us feel even better, rather than the sweets that we USED to think would make us feel better. If you pay close attention to how different foods make you feel after you eat them, you'll start to want to AVOID the stuff that makes you feel bad.

For me it's kind of a habit, I'm feeling better, and I go back to the old habit of picking up a candy bar at the drug store, only to feel worse after eating it.
Writing this now, I realize I need to plan ahead for these times (the drug store puts candy bars on sale for so cheap, it's hard to resist) I need to bring a little zip lock baggie of nuts or a granola bar etc with me when I"m out, so if I'm faced with temptation, I'll have something to fall back on.

 

See now, your post helped me figure that out, thanks!

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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Glad I helped!

 

I try to keep the unhealthy food out of the house, but my wife and daughter like to indulge, and when I'm feeling good, my impulse control slips. Ironic, when you think about it. Usually impulse control falters when we feel bad. But hey, this is Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome, where nothing makes sense!

 

SJ

 

Edited by ChessieCat
removed member name

Main thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/14472-shakeyjerr-say-hello/

History: Prozac & Lithium from 1999 to 2003. Ended up back on after 4 months because taking a beta-blocker caused immediate depression (just 2 doses - turned out I didn't even need it; I had no other withdrawal symptoms - I might have ended up med and withdrawal-free otherwise :(). - Switched to Effexor (75mg 3/day) and Seroquel (50mg 3/day) in 2010. - Did a self-taper during 2016. - Developed Discontinuation Syndrome 02/17.

Supplements: Magnesium-Glycinate 400mg split into 4 100mg doses throughout the day. Vitamin C 500mg - once per day. Fish Oil 1360 mg (950 mg Active Omega-3) - twice per day.

I'm not a doctor. I use the internet, experience, and trial & error. Seek medical advice if necessary.

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Haha I just noticed what i wrote in previous post ,(think more clearly).I'm making dark jokes and not even meaning too.

I am literally desparte to solve my symptoms ,the headaches are terrible and causing me serous distress,i am juicing for past few months cause i presume it would help , could it be that ,one wonders.

I am going away in a few weeks so hope to be in a better place , here's hoping.

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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On 4/20/2017 at 10:02 PM, ShakeyJerr said:

Glad I helped!

 

I try to keep the unhealthy food out of the house, but my wife and daughter like to indulge, and when I'm feeling good, my impulse control slips. Ironic, when you think about it. Usually impulse control falters when we feel bad. But hey, this is Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome, where nothing makes sense!

 

SJ

 

 

I totally agree ,just shows u how the world is far off understanding our condition.

People wouldn't keep alcohol in the house if someone was keeping away from it ha.

My partner is amazingly healthy,but the mother in-law has junk in the house so it's very hard to stay away from it .

My paranoia makes me wonder does she do it on purpose haha

 

Edited by ChessieCat
changed quote after member name change

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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Let go of the paranoia!

 

I know in my case, my wife/daughter keep it in the house because it is something they like, and because they deny themselves so many other things on my account (both when the meds were making me a mean grinch, and now that they have to deal with my withdrawal).

 

And besides, learning a bit of impulse control will help our brains build up strength!

 

SJ

Main thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/14472-shakeyjerr-say-hello/

History: Prozac & Lithium from 1999 to 2003. Ended up back on after 4 months because taking a beta-blocker caused immediate depression (just 2 doses - turned out I didn't even need it; I had no other withdrawal symptoms - I might have ended up med and withdrawal-free otherwise :(). - Switched to Effexor (75mg 3/day) and Seroquel (50mg 3/day) in 2010. - Did a self-taper during 2016. - Developed Discontinuation Syndrome 02/17.

Supplements: Magnesium-Glycinate 400mg split into 4 100mg doses throughout the day. Vitamin C 500mg - once per day. Fish Oil 1360 mg (950 mg Active Omega-3) - twice per day.

I'm not a doctor. I use the internet, experience, and trial & error. Seek medical advice if necessary.

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Yep i agree,i am working on a lot of things like watching out for the paranoia ,i think my ego is very hard to control the last few months , because of my near breakdown before Christmas I'm not working like i used too ,so i have to correct myself often and realise i need to heal,

 

I practice mindfulness and it is brilliant at helping me cope.

Dealing with a situation were i am not were i want to be in life and were i want to get too takes a lot of patience.

Alcohol free since February 2015 

1MG diazepam

4.5MG PROZAC.

 

 

 

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Okay - this is strange. I usually do not have any sort of appetite until dinner time. Usually I just graze during the day to at least keep my strength up.

 

But I was actually hungry for lunch! Treated myself to a grilled chicken quesadilla (on wheat) and just gobbled it down!

 

Lets hope this is the start of something good.

 

SJ

Main thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/14472-shakeyjerr-say-hello/

History: Prozac & Lithium from 1999 to 2003. Ended up back on after 4 months because taking a beta-blocker caused immediate depression (just 2 doses - turned out I didn't even need it; I had no other withdrawal symptoms - I might have ended up med and withdrawal-free otherwise :(). - Switched to Effexor (75mg 3/day) and Seroquel (50mg 3/day) in 2010. - Did a self-taper during 2016. - Developed Discontinuation Syndrome 02/17.

Supplements: Magnesium-Glycinate 400mg split into 4 100mg doses throughout the day. Vitamin C 500mg - once per day. Fish Oil 1360 mg (950 mg Active Omega-3) - twice per day.

I'm not a doctor. I use the internet, experience, and trial & error. Seek medical advice if necessary.

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  • 2 years later...

Every time my gut acts up, at that very second I get mental problems, so I know they are one and the same ....problem is, for 7 years I’ve been in protracted agony and my gut hasn’t gotten any better, I’ve tried every diet and supplement protocol in the book, you name it and I’ve tried it, and have sustained it for long periods of time...it seems none of them work, however staying away from junk food in general helps the agony from being a 10 to an 8, that’s about it, so there’s some truth behind healthy eating....but who knows what I’m eliminating that gets me from a 10 to an 8....anyway I am just letting everyone out there know, the diet and supplements have an extremely insignificant effect on your gut , but doing it matters, it won’t speed up recovery that much at all, will just let you get by through it, but I’ve been on diets for 7 years now, still not better ....I think we are so far away from understanding the mechanisms behind gut brain signaling, and everyone’s desperate for an answer, I’m here to give you my personal experience, it helps about 4 percent. If that matters to you, then continue with it, if it doesn’t, the body heals itself no matter what you do, as long as it’s not more drugs. I have hope I’ll heal, even though I still haven’t, but I know I’m not where I was three years ago and that’s progress enough , that gives me hope enough. But it seems for now, the conclusion must be made that if you eat regular food, your body will be doing the majority of the work, don’t think a diet and supplements will really have an impact at all, it’s dangerous thinking . It’s taking me this long to realize that , but I encourage healthy diet regardless of this truth. 

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Did you try the carnivore diet?

- March 2017: 50mg Sertraline starts

- August 2017: up to 100mg

- February 2018: down to 50mg

- November 2018: one-week taper down to 0mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus

@Ryguy I merged your topic with a similar one.  Some people have had good results by changing their diets, but it's very individual, I don't believe there is one kind of diet that's right for everyone.

 

See these topics for more information about gut health and diet:  

Diets that may cause problems: Restriction, Ketosis, Raw, Low Carb

Irritable bowel syndrome: Gut bacteria and what you can do

Probiotics and gut health

Gut health influences emotions, thinking

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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Thanks for feedback , will look into those articles and carnivore diet doesn’t work I tried for a few weeks , Keep in mind though that just drinking water effects my gut, I think it’s overall so messed up just breathing air is going to cause symptoms 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • Mentor
On 7/28/2019 at 11:56 AM, Ryguy said:

Thanks for feedback , will look into those articles and carnivore diet doesn’t work I tried for a few weeks , Keep in mind though that just drinking water effects my gut, I think it’s overall so messed up just breathing air is going to cause symptoms 

Have you ever tried The Plant Paradox by Dr.Gundry? It reversed my allergic reactions to certain foods, started the reversing of my alopecia(gut is in chaos from SSRI WD) so that has slowed. He has great success stories. Especially of people having health issues with autoimmune diseases for over 20 years and them reversing after changing their nutrition. 

I follow The Plant Paradox lifestyle by Dr.Gundry. This lifestyle has given me my life back and I feel better than I have ever felt in my life. It has enabled me to finally get off of this medication and truly live my life. Nutrition is the key to health!!!!! 

2008 to 2019  - 20 mg Paroxetine

Attempted 2 CT's around the 5-6 year mark. Were absolutely terrible and reinstated. Was never explained by the doctor the seriousness of the short half life of this drug. 

2017 - Attempted a tapered discontinuation of this drug and reinstated after being unsuccessful.

2019 - Feb. 12 - After a three month taper I am off of paroxetine. The 3 months were terrible, awful withdrawal feelings. I followed the doctors guidelines for the reduction of this drug and now know it was way too fast. 
2019 - Oct. 12 - 8 months off paroxetine. 75% improvement since coming off the drug. Definitely have had tons of challenges along the way. Let’s go!!!! 

2021 - Feb. 12 - 24 months off paroxetine. I have minor challenges now. Tinnitus/Headaches are still around but are reduced by a massive amount. 

 

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I’

11 hours ago, Cocopuffz17 said:

Have you ever tried The Plant Paradox by Dr.Gundry? It reversed my allergic reactions to certain foods, started the reversing of my alopecia(gut is in chaos from SSRI WD) so that has slowed. He has great success stories. Especially of people having health issues with autoimmune diseases for over 20 years and them reversing after changing their nutrition. 

I’ll look into that too , doubt it will work, this isn’t autoimmunity, my stomach literally isn’t working , I eat one thing and two seconds later I’ll have hives and acne all over, been like this since I stopped Zoloft , it’s been 7 years , it even happens if I have herbal tea. I mean anything and everything , it’s a living nightmare 

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  • Mentor
47 minutes ago, Ryguy said:

I’

I’ll look into that too , doubt it will work, this isn’t autoimmunity, my stomach literally isn’t working , I eat one thing and two seconds later I’ll have hives and acne all over, been like this since I stopped Zoloft , it’s been 7 years , it even happens if I have herbal tea. I mean anything and everything , it’s a living nightmare 

I used to have sensitivities, although not that sensitive and they have disappeared. Definitely give it a read and see what you think! 

I follow The Plant Paradox lifestyle by Dr.Gundry. This lifestyle has given me my life back and I feel better than I have ever felt in my life. It has enabled me to finally get off of this medication and truly live my life. Nutrition is the key to health!!!!! 

2008 to 2019  - 20 mg Paroxetine

Attempted 2 CT's around the 5-6 year mark. Were absolutely terrible and reinstated. Was never explained by the doctor the seriousness of the short half life of this drug. 

2017 - Attempted a tapered discontinuation of this drug and reinstated after being unsuccessful.

2019 - Feb. 12 - After a three month taper I am off of paroxetine. The 3 months were terrible, awful withdrawal feelings. I followed the doctors guidelines for the reduction of this drug and now know it was way too fast. 
2019 - Oct. 12 - 8 months off paroxetine. 75% improvement since coming off the drug. Definitely have had tons of challenges along the way. Let’s go!!!! 

2021 - Feb. 12 - 24 months off paroxetine. I have minor challenges now. Tinnitus/Headaches are still around but are reduced by a massive amount. 

 

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20 hours ago, Cocopuffz17 said:

I used to have sensitivities, although not that sensitive and they have disappeared. Definitely give it a read and see what you think! 

Will do, much appreciation to you 

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  • 4 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I’m doing carnivore for a month. Been in withdrawal for 7 or 8 years now and it’s completely destroyed my gut and skin. Not sure this new diet will do anything but I’m literally as desperate as I can be to at least feel one day without Akathisia and compulsions etc...will let everyone know if there are any noticeable changes 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Ryguy,

I'm sorry you've been going through this for such a long time. I'm also a long termer, protracted withdrawal which has taken a long time to improve. Seven years drug free for me after a fast taper. I've had almost every symptom you hear about too, but over time I've got much better, but for the last year or so, I seemed to have reached a plateau so also changed my diet from mainly plant based to high quality animal food based. 

I stumbled onto information about the carnivore diet and keto diet through youtube recommendations while watching vegan videos 🙂 It made sense that perhaps my healing had stopped because I wasn't getting the nutrition I needed.

 

I looked at all the information about how a carnivore diet can heal the gut, but my  remaining problems were mostly with energy and brain function, so decided to go with animal based keto.  Cutting out the grains and adding the high quality animal foods has made a huge difference for me. Mainly it's increased my energy levels and improved my cognitive function.

 

My recommendation if going carnivore,  is to buy high quality meats, meaning grass fed, grass finished, free range chicken, pasture eggs and wild caught fish, and include some beef liver several times a week, lambs brain is very good too.  Regular grocery store meat isn't the best quality, which is probably fine for most normal, healthy people, but if you  have sensitivities from withdrawal, it would probably be wise to buy the best quality you can afford, especially at first, until you start healing some.

 

I hope this diet helps you, I'm optimistic that it will.

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi @Ryguy, how is the carnivore diet going?

spring 2002 - summer 2008 - in chronological order: Effexor CT'd, Lexapro, possibly Luvox & Zoloft?, Prozac (brand name), Paxil, Geodon, and Prozac
summer 2009 - summer 2012 - Prozac (up to 80 mg but settled at 60 mg) and Wellbutrin (300 mg) - FT'd off both over a few months 
fall 2012 - fall 2016 - Prozac (60 mg) and Wellbutrin (300 mg) - also tried Anafranil close to the beginning of this period (unsure of dosage)
fall 2016 - fall 2017 - FT'd Wellbutrin to 0mg and Prozac to 10 mg (had FT'd both, reinstated at 300mg & 60mg, then FT'd again - very bad for my CNS)
fall 2017 - October 2018 - Prozac (10 mg) FT'd to switch to Anafranil
mid October 2018 - February 7th, 2019 - Abilify (2 mg to 5 mg) FT'd at 2.5 mg for 6 days due to psychiatric nurse practitioner's direction
late October 2018 - February 1st, 2019 - Anafranil (25 mg to 100 mg)
December 18th, 2018 - January 4th, 2019 - Luvox (25 mg) CT'd due to psychiatric nurse practitioner's direction
February 2nd - February 8th 2019 - Anafranil (50 mg) FT'd due to psychiatric nurse practitioner's direction
February 9th - February 15th, 2019 - Anafranil (25 mg) FT'd due to psychiatric nurse practitioner's direction

various supplements February 16th, 2019 to present - none have seemed to help or hurt 

July 24, 2019 - January 2020 - bio-idential bi-estrogen and progesterone creams, January - February 2020 - bio-identical progesterone pills

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I can definitely imagine it's expensive!  Are you buying conventional or grass fed/pastured?  I've heard constipation on this diet is common.  Have you noticed any improvements in mood or withdrawal symptoms at all?

spring 2002 - summer 2008 - in chronological order: Effexor CT'd, Lexapro, possibly Luvox & Zoloft?, Prozac (brand name), Paxil, Geodon, and Prozac
summer 2009 - summer 2012 - Prozac (up to 80 mg but settled at 60 mg) and Wellbutrin (300 mg) - FT'd off both over a few months 
fall 2012 - fall 2016 - Prozac (60 mg) and Wellbutrin (300 mg) - also tried Anafranil close to the beginning of this period (unsure of dosage)
fall 2016 - fall 2017 - FT'd Wellbutrin to 0mg and Prozac to 10 mg (had FT'd both, reinstated at 300mg & 60mg, then FT'd again - very bad for my CNS)
fall 2017 - October 2018 - Prozac (10 mg) FT'd to switch to Anafranil
mid October 2018 - February 7th, 2019 - Abilify (2 mg to 5 mg) FT'd at 2.5 mg for 6 days due to psychiatric nurse practitioner's direction
late October 2018 - February 1st, 2019 - Anafranil (25 mg to 100 mg)
December 18th, 2018 - January 4th, 2019 - Luvox (25 mg) CT'd due to psychiatric nurse practitioner's direction
February 2nd - February 8th 2019 - Anafranil (50 mg) FT'd due to psychiatric nurse practitioner's direction
February 9th - February 15th, 2019 - Anafranil (25 mg) FT'd due to psychiatric nurse practitioner's direction

various supplements February 16th, 2019 to present - none have seemed to help or hurt 

July 24, 2019 - January 2020 - bio-idential bi-estrogen and progesterone creams, January - February 2020 - bio-identical progesterone pills

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@RyguyHow long have you been doing KETO for? 

Short Term Case: 7 pill of 10 mg of Modafinil in a 3 month span, but last 3 I took back to back causing severe withdrawals, lasting 3 weeks. Than 2 pills lexapro to help withdrawal lead to more withdrawal.  I have most symptoms Pssd, emotional loss, cognitive issues, nerve damage in legs.  Also 2 benzodiazepines.  Not much to damage me long term...

 

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9 hours ago, Webhead21 said:

@RyguyHow long have you been doing KETO for? 

Hey. Was doing keto for a few years, definitely helped a bit, carnivore was too much constipation, but im switching back and forth right now 

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On 1/24/2020 at 10:10 AM, Ryguy said:

I’m doing carnivore for a month. Been in withdrawal for 7 or 8 years now and it’s completely destroyed my gut and skin. Not sure this new diet will do anything but I’m literally as desperate as I can be to at least feel one day without Akathisia and compulsions etc...will let everyone know if there are any noticeable changes 

You poor thing

  • 13th of August 2019 started to take 20 mg citalopram
  • 😀24th of August 2019 down to 10mg stopped citalopram altogether on the 30th of August 2019
Quote

Short term citalopram

 

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  • 4 months later...

hi guys

 

I'm very interested in started a carnivore diet. Has it helped your withdrawal symptoms?

🌬️Wim Hof Method practitioner ❄️

 

SSRI history:

Paroxetine: 2008 - 2010

Paroxetine: 2012 - 2015

Wellbutrin, Escitalopram: 2015 (briefly)

Paroxetine: 2015 - 2021 (bridged to Fluoxetine)

Fluoxetine: 2021 (18mg, gradually decreasing)

 

100% passionate about life, not willing to give up!

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  • 1 year later...

Hello to all.

 

Thank you for posting the Dave MacLeod Video @Thelongestroadhome. I've been following him for some time now, and actually found the Carnivore diet idea through him, because he had the same Climbers elbow injury, that I do and seems to have cured it through that. But I never saw that video. Very nice to hear him talk about it.

But in my case I am not sure if it is the right way to go. I've been strictly Carnivore for 2 weeks now, with being Keto and low carb for about 4 months prior, and my triglycerides have started climbing significantly. I also have a high cholesterol count, but it seems I am a Hyperresponder to fat adapted diets. But the combination is worrying me.

Also I don't know what you think, but since we all have been taking medication and had severe side effects, perhaps the benefits don't come as "easily" to us as to others?

I think there is some evidence, that a keto diet can reap many health benefits and my personal belief is, that carnivore is another booster to accelerate healing. But on the other 

hand, everyone is unique and might not respond as well. Did anyone have real bad experiences with keto or carnivore? 

For positive effects I think I am sleeping better and my climbers elbow does hurt much less then before. Windows and waves still come and go though and seem to be unaffected. But bowel movements adaptation and bloating are still a problem in my case.

Since my doc is only gonna wave statins at me probably, I will have to find my own way out of this confusing entanglement it seems.

 

Cheers to you all

 

Sofa

November 2014: 20mg of Citalopram after burnout.

June 2017: Tried to taper off by splitting the pills and after not being able to split them into more pieces, by taking them every other day and then one in 3 days and so on.

December 2017 Panic attacks, heart racing, fear of dying and a lot of other weird symptoms made me go back on 10mg of Citalopram.

November 2020: Functional medicine doctor told me my leaky gut could be coming from the antidepressant and made me taper off in 2,5 months with ecitalopram liquid.

Last drop of ecitalopram in the middle of january (can#t remember the exact date)

Since then trying to cope with withdrawal.

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@sofasogoodI only managed to stick to carnivore for six weeks and in that time I felt no benefits. My cholesterol is also high and I’m pretty sure such a diet would make it worse. I’ve heard many say it didn’t help their mood, in fact some said it made it worse. It’s a mystery really, I’d like to know why some respond positively and others not. 

 

December 2007 30mg Lexapro and a benzodiazepine December 2008 25mg, December 2009 20mg, December 2010 15mg Lexapro, December 2011 10mg Lexapro. Long hold as I felt happy with the dose and saw no need at the time to reduce further. September 2015 dropped to 5mg. Terrible anxiety started two months later. June 2016 dropped to 3mg and terrible obsessive thoughts and anxiety so ten days later I reinstated back to 5mg. October 2016 dropped to 4mg. April 2017 dropped to 3mg. September 2017 dropped to 2mg. Terrible obsessive thoughts. Anxiety through the roof. OCD.  September 2018 quit cold turkey 2mg Lexapro. March 2019 feeling better than I have in years. 
Jan 2021 Anxiety returns after a twelve month period of incredible personal stress. 
Dec 2021 Reinstated antidepressants after 12 months of debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. 50mg zoloft. No side effects, unlike starting lexapro 14 yrs ago

Jan 2022. Stable. Like a weight has been 

lifted



 

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@Thelongestroadhome

 

2 hours ago, Thelongestroadhome said:

It’s a mystery really, I’d like to know why some respond positively and others not. 

 

Perhaps it really has something to do with Ketosis. I do not know right now if I am in Ketosis or not. Perhaps I am eating too much protein, but you never know with the ribeyes, how much fat they contain. Perhaps I will get one of these keto-breath devices. 

 I am in my 3. week, my climbers elbow has almost vanished again, just like last time. But my mood hasn't improved yet and my gut issues still persist. I bloat after meals and I generally don't feel good gut wise. Will do another cholesterol and triglyceride test after 4 weeks. If that isn't looking better I will revert to Keto. I like veggies. Wanted to try if the health benefits would happen for me with carnivore too. But until now it doesn't seem like it (besides the elbow)

 

Experimenting is a very unsure route and can lead either way. I think I have backed myself into a corner with this and I am not sure how to get out of it.

2 hours ago, Thelongestroadhome said:

only managed to stick to carnivore for six weeks and in that time I felt no benefits.

I am curious. Are you on any kind of diet right now?

 

Cheers

November 2014: 20mg of Citalopram after burnout.

June 2017: Tried to taper off by splitting the pills and after not being able to split them into more pieces, by taking them every other day and then one in 3 days and so on.

December 2017 Panic attacks, heart racing, fear of dying and a lot of other weird symptoms made me go back on 10mg of Citalopram.

November 2020: Functional medicine doctor told me my leaky gut could be coming from the antidepressant and made me taper off in 2,5 months with ecitalopram liquid.

Last drop of ecitalopram in the middle of january (can#t remember the exact date)

Since then trying to cope with withdrawal.

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5 hours ago, sofasogood said:

Perhaps I will get one of these keto-breath devices. 

 

You can be keto testing strips which test your urine.  Probably cheaper.

 

I have read that you can often notice a change in the smell of your breath when in ketosis.  I have noticed it with mine.  It's not a horrible smell, just slightly unpleasant, and isn't too bad but I can definitely notice a difference.  And with physical distances and wearing masks, it only affects me!

 

5 hours ago, sofasogood said:

Will do another cholesterol and triglyceride test after 4 weeks. If that isn't looking better I will revert to Keto. I like veggies.

 

I've recently changed my diet to reverse type 2 diabetes, lower my cholesterol and lose weight.  To get things kick-started I am doing very low carb at the moment and have, in just under 4 weeks, lost 6.25% of my weight, equals 1/16th.  I have also incorporated 3 per day exercise bike HIIT sessions of 5 1/2 minutes each, when I cycle I do 20 secs as fast as I can and the other 40 secs I just peddle comfortably.  I do NOT use the tension because I have meniscus tears in my left knee.  I also do my physio exercises at least every second day.  Yesterday I started doing light weights (1/2 kg = 1.1 lb) for upper body strengthening.

 

In a few more weeks' time I will start introducing some of the higher carb veggies.  I'm looking forward to orange sweet potato.  I will also start eating peas and corn.  But I will NOT be including white potatoes at this time.  Maybe down the track and in moderation.

* 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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