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Pleasehelpme4: my introduction


Pleasehelpme4

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I could really use some peer support by phone or message. If anyone is interested please let me know. This is so lonely when the people you know have no idea what you are going through. Thanks love yall! 

2014 - April 2019 150mg Fluvoxamine ER 

Fast taper beginning in April 2019 and ending in June 2019

Off Fluvoxamine for 6 weeks with severe WD.

12 mg of Ambien xr for insomnia.

After 6 weeks reinstated fluvoxamine 150mg Aug 2019 - December 2019

Jan 2020 able to get off Ambien and started slow taper to get of Fluvoxamine but taper was not slow enough. 10% reduction every week. still experiencing WD from first attempt.

March 2020 switch to 75mg Effexor xr

April 2020 37.5mg Effexor xr, bridged to Trintellix, and now off Effexor

 

4/25/2020 5mg Trintellix

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

would-you-be-open-to-being-my-phone-friend

 

One of the members created a Facebook support group (please note that it is not affiliated with SA): 


i-started-a-private-facebook-group-for-sa-members-only

 

 

 

 

Edited by ChessieCat

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *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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  • Moderator Emeritus

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *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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@ChessieCat thank you so much for resources. 

2014 - April 2019 150mg Fluvoxamine ER 

Fast taper beginning in April 2019 and ending in June 2019

Off Fluvoxamine for 6 weeks with severe WD.

12 mg of Ambien xr for insomnia.

After 6 weeks reinstated fluvoxamine 150mg Aug 2019 - December 2019

Jan 2020 able to get off Ambien and started slow taper to get of Fluvoxamine but taper was not slow enough. 10% reduction every week. still experiencing WD from first attempt.

March 2020 switch to 75mg Effexor xr

April 2020 37.5mg Effexor xr, bridged to Trintellix, and now off Effexor

 

4/25/2020 5mg Trintellix

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

@Gridley 2 months ago I started having a bad reaction to the trintellix at 5mg (rashes, head burning, pressure) so my doctor had me lower to 2.5mg, still was having a bad reaction each time I took a dose and we kept lowering it to the point of me getting off, even at very low doses I was still having a reaction. Its been a month off and now my worst symptom is insomnia, I have to work and it requires me to mentally be sharp. Ive tried melatonin, restoril, ambien, and gabapentin but they are not giving me more than 3-4 hours a night. I feel like my only option to get sleep is to get back on an ssri, but im nervous I will have a reaction to whatever I get on because im so hypersensitized. I feel so helpless.

 

2014 - April 2019 150mg Fluvoxamine ER 

Fast taper beginning in April 2019 and ending in June 2019

Off Fluvoxamine for 6 weeks with severe WD.

12 mg of Ambien xr for insomnia.

After 6 weeks reinstated fluvoxamine 150mg Aug 2019 - December 2019

Jan 2020 able to get off Ambien and started slow taper to get of Fluvoxamine but taper was not slow enough. 10% reduction every week. still experiencing WD from first attempt.

March 2020 switch to 75mg Effexor xr

April 2020 37.5mg Effexor xr, bridged to Trintellix, and now off Effexor

 

4/25/2020 5mg Trintellix

 

 

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Hi. My worst symptom has always been insomnia. Like you, I tried melatonin, restoril and trazadone. None of them ever worked very well, and they can only be used short term.  I was afraid of getting dependent. I discovered that 12.5 mg of Benadryl is usually a big help, but in the past, I used it no more than a few times a month because I didn't want to get dependent on it.

 

Now, just within the past week, I hit upon a magnesium solution. I have been taking 300 mg of Integrative Therapeutics Tri-magnesium for years, and it's good for calming, but it wasn't the panacea for sleep that I wanted. I switched to 120 mg of Magnesium Glycinate, because the research says that's the best form of magnesium for sleep. That put me to sleep, but it was too much and made me so groggy and headachy the next day.

 

So now, I mix the two! I break open the capsules and weigh them with my digital scale, and I think I've found the right formula. I take 200 mg Tri-Magnesium and add in 20 mg Magnesium Glycinate. Been sleeping really well the past few days. 

 

I am NOT advocating that you take what I take. But you didn't say you had tried any magnesium, and it's mentioned quite a bit on this site, so it might be worth looking into. There are more than 10 different types of magnesium because it has to be attached to a molecule of something else to work. There is lots of information about the different types online. Maybe start with a low dose and work up.

 

Best wishes!

Celexa - 20 mg May 2015 - March 2016 (Felt quite good)..... Celexa taper from May 2016 - Nov 2016.....Completely off by Nov. 2016.

Depression and Anxiety returned June 2017

July, 2017: Zoloft = 25 mg;  Aug. 2017 = 37.5 mg; Nov. 2017 = 50 mg thru Jan. 23, 2018.

Jan. 2018 - May 6, 2019 = taper Zoloft from 50 mg to 12.5 mg.  Aug. 11, 2019 - felt so bad that I reinstated at 25mg. Hold at this dose until Feb. 3, 2020

Feb. 4, 2020 = reduce dose to 21.875 mg. Hold for 10 weeks. April 14, 2020 = 18.75 mg. Hold for 10 weeks.  

June10, 2020 - start cycle of 2 weeks to taper slowly from old dose to new dose, then hold at new dose for 6 weeks.

June 23, 2020  = 16.66 mg.........August 26, 2020 = 14.75 mg ....... October 28, 2020 = 13.15 mg

2021: Jan. 1 = 11.85 mg....Feb. 26 = 10.5 mg....April 23 = 9.3 mg....June 12 = 8.33 mg.... Aug. 7 = 7.05 mg.....Oct. 9 = 6.08 mg.....Dec. 4 = 5.12 mg......Jan. 21, 2022 = 4.16mg.....Mar. 26 = 3.20mg......May 7 = 1.92mg....June 11 = 1.6mg.....July 23= 1.28 mg.....Aug. 13 = 0.96 mg.....Sept. 1 =O mg.

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3 hours ago, Pleasehelpme4 said:

im nervous I will have a reaction to whatever I get on because im so hypersensitized.

As you know we don't recommend taking a different drug to try to counteract withdrawal/adverse effect symptoms.  As you noted, your system is hyper sensitized.  You might consider the magnesium suggestions that Artistic1 suggested.  Insomnia is perhaps the most common symptom of withdrawal.

If you can manage to try to get some sleep without drugs, that would be great. Sleep does return little by little after time.   Here are some links that might be helpful to you in getting better sleep.

 

Tips to help sleep - so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

Relaxation exercises, guided meditations, calming videos, sleep hypnosis

 

Tricks and tips to fall asleep faster

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/02/16/tips-tricks-fall-asleep-faster.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20170216Z1&et_cid=DM133787&et_rid=1889748952

 

This link contains helpful information, including insomnia and also non-drug coping skills.  

 

Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems

 

Apace41, one of our moderators, has had many issues with sleep and is slowly improving.  I have sleep issues and I found his post to be helpful.

 

There is, unfortunately, no "silver bullet" to withdrawal or any of its symptoms, including insomnia.  If there were, SA would be a much smaller site than it is at this point.  Sadly, it continues to grow as more and more people get caught in the psychiatric medication "web."

 

Insomnia and disordered sleeping is a hallmark of psychiatric medication withdrawal.  It starts earlier than that with many studies making it clear that SSRIs (and other psych meds) frequently suppress REM sleep for those who take the meds.  https://www.sleepio.com/articles/sleep-aids/antidepressants-and-sleep/  Given this as a backdrop, it should be no surprise that coming off the meds can wreak havoc on sleep.  The good news, however, is that the brain works hard to achieve homeostasis and, all other things being equal, the brain will return to a place where sleep becomes, as it should be, a matter of routine.  How long that takes for any one person is impossible to predict. 

 

So, what do you do?  In no particular order, some of the things to try:

 

  • Don't place too much significance on sleep.  Rest should be the key and when your body absolutely needs to sleep it will.  The anxiety that comes with lying awake and saying "I must sleep" is far worse than the not sleeping.  It's hard but it can be done.
  • Try a journaling practice before bed -- get out the things that are on your mind and add 3 things you are grateful for from the day
  • Get a sleep ritual in place so that you do the same thing day after day and start to repair your circadian rhythms
  • Take a warm bath with epsom salts few hours before bedtime and add in a cup of chamomile tea
  • Use lavender essential oils in a diffuser at bedtime
  • Exercise early in the day so that you aren't activated near bedtime
  • Get outside and get some sunlight early in the day so that your rhythms are reestablished
  • Make sure you have a consistent bedtime 
  • Try not to be too activated in the couple of hours before bed and, of course, no caffeine
  • Add a meditation practice
  • Try yoga
  • Go for walks in nature
Most insomnia is the result of the body being "hyperstimulated."  It is very hard to calm down an overstimulated body, especially when it is the result of chemical cascades that come as a result of medication use and withdrawal.  But, it can be done to a certain degree and the skills learned will provide valuable as your body improves over time.  

 

From my own perspective, my sleep is still not great, but it it better than it was.  I went through many stretches of 2 or 3 days with zero or an hour or two a night of sleep.  At this point, I have the occasional sleepless night, but most nights I'm good for at least 5 and usually closer to 6 hours.  By "normal" people standards that's not great, but it feels pretty good when compared to 0 or 2-3 hours a night.  As the saying goes, "in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king!"

 

Try not to let it become the dominant factor in your life.  Over time, it will get better and you will heal.  Just do your best to continue to live your life what your brain is repairing itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gridley Introduction

 

Lexapro 20 mg since 2004.  Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017.   

End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg 

End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg

End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg  

Oct. 30, 2020  Jump to zero from 0.025mg.  Current dose: 0.000mg

3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete.

 

Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements

Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium

Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium 

End 2021  year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg

End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg 

End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg

Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper.

Taper is 95% complete.

 

Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986.  Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg  

March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper

Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper

Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper.  Current dose as of Feb. 22: 7.6mg

Taper is 90% complete.  

  

Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, anti-candida, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase


I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs.

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  • Mentor

I'm a breathwork coach, and I often recommend deep breathing and humming while in bed as an easy/drug free way to calm the nervous system and facilitate sleep. It's not a magic bullet for everyone, but it can be a game changer. Kristina Macias of Primal Coding is a breathwork master, and I love her introduction to humming:

 

 

Effexor XR 37.5mg and Wellbutrin XL 150mg from age 15-30 (2001-2016). Hell withdrawal. Drug free (and happy) since 2016.

 

I am the founder Happiness Is A Skill, a weekly newsletter dedicated to helping people heal from depression by learning the skill of happiness. Join hundreds of others and subscribe here: http://learnhappy.brookesiem.com/

 

I wrote this for the The Washington Post: I spent half my life on antidepressants. Today, I'm off the medication and I feel all right.

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Pleasehelpme4: my introduction

@Gridley if i were to reinstate a med at a low dose and start having an adverse reaction (nervousness, sensory hypertivity, skin tingling) but then lowered the dose and the adverse reaction symptoms go away, would it be safe to keep taking the med? 

2014 - April 2019 150mg Fluvoxamine ER 

Fast taper beginning in April 2019 and ending in June 2019

Off Fluvoxamine for 6 weeks with severe WD.

12 mg of Ambien xr for insomnia.

After 6 weeks reinstated fluvoxamine 150mg Aug 2019 - December 2019

Jan 2020 able to get off Ambien and started slow taper to get of Fluvoxamine but taper was not slow enough. 10% reduction every week. still experiencing WD from first attempt.

March 2020 switch to 75mg Effexor xr

April 2020 37.5mg Effexor xr, bridged to Trintellix, and now off Effexor

 

4/25/2020 5mg Trintellix

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Please read Post #1 of this topic:  about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms

 

* 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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  • Moderator Emeritus
40 minutes ago, Pleasehelpme4 said:

if i were to reinstate a med at a low dose

 

What drug are you thinking about reinstating?

 

Are you still taking:  (from drug signature) 4/25/2020 5mg Trintellix ?

 

* 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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@ChessieCat i will update my signature.

2 months ago i had a reaction to trintellix so i have been off for about a month. Symptoms are so bad I cant work. My doctor suggest lexapro. Just wanted to know if you can continue taking a drug at a lower dose (with no adverse reaction symptoms) after was giving you adverse reactions at a higher dose. Would it still be acting like a poison at the lower dose? 

 

Edit:

"

  • You get an adverse reaction from the drug. Look up your drug at drugs.com to identify known adverse reactions. A rash is always a bad sign. Sometimes an adverse reaction can be eliminated by taking a lower dosage.
  • If you have an immediate severe bad reaction, reduce or stop taking the drug"

2014 - April 2019 150mg Fluvoxamine ER 

Fast taper beginning in April 2019 and ending in June 2019

Off Fluvoxamine for 6 weeks with severe WD.

12 mg of Ambien xr for insomnia.

After 6 weeks reinstated fluvoxamine 150mg Aug 2019 - December 2019

Jan 2020 able to get off Ambien and started slow taper to get of Fluvoxamine but taper was not slow enough. 10% reduction every week. still experiencing WD from first attempt.

March 2020 switch to 75mg Effexor xr

April 2020 37.5mg Effexor xr, bridged to Trintellix, and now off Effexor

 

4/25/2020 5mg Trintellix

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus
8 hours ago, Pleasehelpme4 said:

se and the adverse reaction symptoms go away, would it be safe to keep taking the med? 

 

As the quote you posted said:

 

8 hours ago, Pleasehelpme4 said:

Sometimes an adverse reaction can be eliminated by taking a lower dosage.

 

So taking a lower dose could eliminate the adverse reaction.

Edited by Gridley

Gridley Introduction

 

Lexapro 20 mg since 2004.  Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017.   

End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg 

End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg

End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg  

Oct. 30, 2020  Jump to zero from 0.025mg.  Current dose: 0.000mg

3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete.

 

Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements

Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium

Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium 

End 2021  year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg

End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg 

End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg

Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper.

Taper is 95% complete.

 

Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986.  Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg  

March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper

Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper

Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper.  Current dose as of Feb. 22: 7.6mg

Taper is 90% complete.  

  

Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, anti-candida, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase


I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs.

Link to comment

Will my sensitivity to serotonin slowly get less the longer I stay on the meds and possibly allow me to take a higher dose in the future? 

2014 - April 2019 150mg Fluvoxamine ER 

Fast taper beginning in April 2019 and ending in June 2019

Off Fluvoxamine for 6 weeks with severe WD.

12 mg of Ambien xr for insomnia.

After 6 weeks reinstated fluvoxamine 150mg Aug 2019 - December 2019

Jan 2020 able to get off Ambien and started slow taper to get of Fluvoxamine but taper was not slow enough. 10% reduction every week. still experiencing WD from first attempt.

March 2020 switch to 75mg Effexor xr

April 2020 37.5mg Effexor xr, bridged to Trintellix, and now off Effexor

 

4/25/2020 5mg Trintellix

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus
2 hours ago, Pleasehelpme4 said:

Will my sensitivity to serotonin slowly get less the longer I stay on the meds and possibly allow me to take a higher dose in the future? 

There's no way to know but not likely.  An adverse reaction involves many factors, some unknown, other than serotonin.  If you had an adverse reaction to a higher dose, you can either try a lower dose or not take Trintillex at all.

 

If you wanted, you could reinstate 1mg Trintillex and see how that works.  If you feel worse, stop immediately.

 

This link explains how to get the low dose of Trintillex if you do decide to reinstate 1mg:

 

Tips for tapering off Trintellix (vortioxetine), previously called Brintellix

 

 

Gridley Introduction

 

Lexapro 20 mg since 2004.  Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017.   

End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg 

End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg

End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg  

Oct. 30, 2020  Jump to zero from 0.025mg.  Current dose: 0.000mg

3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete.

 

Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements

Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium

Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium 

End 2021  year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg

End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg 

End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg

Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper.

Taper is 95% complete.

 

Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986.  Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg  

March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper

Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper

Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper.  Current dose as of Feb. 22: 7.6mg

Taper is 90% complete.  

  

Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, anti-candida, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase


I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs.

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