☼ cookie95: nearing the end of my tapering journey with Wellbutrin

[cookie95]

hello, i’ve come to SA to help me eventually get off of wellbutrin. at the recommendation of two doctors and my therapist i tapered off of my lamictal and wellbutrin XL too quickly, leading to a depressive episode, night terrors, sleep disturbance, and just freaking the **** out about how im supposed to live my life like this (oct 2019-present). i’ve ceased the lamicta completely and had to go back up on the wellbutrin XL. I was on 300mg wellbutrin XL, went down to 150, and am back on 300. The symptoms are slowly evening out. i never felt that these meds helped my trauma-induced depression in my teenage years very much, but i was kept on everything (particularly after a depressive bout in college after quitting wellbutrin for a few months and starting zoloft) because they didnt know what else to do with me. i dont want to be on wellbutrin for the rest of my life, and after reading thru this forum im terrified for the long tapering process and what i’ll meet at each stage in the process and what i’ll find at the other end. im terrified of what all these drugs have done to my developing brain as i started them all as a minor and into my early 20s. i’m feeling hopeless and trapped but i know everyone here is in the same situation. 

 

i originally began to taper off wellbutrin last oct because of chronic fatigue. i was adviced to reduce the wellbutrin as it raises my heartrate very high. this is another concern and reason i want to eventually taper off of wellbutrin. i dont want to develop permanent tachycardia for a drug that really doesnt do anything. i stayed on wellbutrin for so long because it is what i “tolerated” best and i was just constantly depressed so doctors didnt want to mess with it. it’s been more of an afterthought, but it doesnt do my body good. on it, i generally feel like myself but i am still prone to depression and low energy (maybe it’s helped with self harm a bit). i see now that my issues are causes primarily by a traumatic upbringing, and traumatic events through college. of course i would develop mental health issues. i was never given the chance to rest and heal from trauma, only given drugs and told to finish school or ***** over by everyone i reached out to. and believe ne i reached out to everyone possible only to be burned repeatedly. and now im here still feeling like ****.

 

i thought my depressive episode from tapering was triggered by my therapist (who has been fired) and trauma bubbling up, but is probably a combination of everything. definitely not made better by tapering too fast even though i was told this was the slowest i could go lol

 

i am not currently in any therapy and may have to take a long break because psychiatrists and therapists have contributed to my trauma. i also have a 3-4 month seasonal depression per year (oct-jan) which also coincides with a trauma anniversary. my living and life situation isnt exactly stable (unemployed since grad, will be leaving my support system to live with my parents in a few months). i just feel like im stuck but my situation will never really be stable until i heal fully. in terms of trauma, i experience some flashbacks when directly triggered but they are managable

 

based on what i am reading on this forum, i’ll likely stay on the 300mg wellbutrin XL and try to stabilize for another month (for total of 3 months) and taper off at 10%/4-6 weeks, and keeping the same dose thru the winter months. im not sure if im prepared mentally yet to go the long haul and be committed to the dosing but i can worry about that once im more stable. would love to know what the mods think. i’ll be bringing up this slow taper plan with a psychiatrist soon who will probably try to talk me out of it and im terrified. i dont want to lose more time to wd. i just want to be okay

 

 

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Cookie95.  We're happy to help you taper Wellbutrin.  Even if you don't go all the way to zero, which as you say is something you can decide later, you'll be reducing your drug burden and that's all to the good for your health.

 

Psychiatrists know nothing about safe tapering or withdrawal (which they don't believe exists), and invariably try to talk their patients into tapering too fast, putting them at risk of withdrawal symptoms.  It's your body and you have every right to decide what you put into and at what rate you taper.  You're correct that depression is a common withdrawal symptom stemming from a too-fast taper.

 

We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your current dose every four weeks.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The following link is specifically about tapering Wellbutrin.  Wellbutrin is a drug that, in some cases, can be tapered a bit more quickly than the 10% method, but I would definitely start out at that rate.  The link explains how to get the nonstandard doses you'll need for your taper as well as other important information.  

 

Tips for tapering off Wellbutrin, SR, XR, XL (buproprion)

 

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 (glycinate is a good form) 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) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

 

[cookie95]

thank you so much! im glad i found my way here too. i have an appointment with the psych who originally prescribed me wellbutrin in high school on tues. she will disagree with me but she’ll likely support me and monitor my 10% taper

 

would you agree that i should continue stabilizing on wellbutrin XL 300mg for another few weeks before beginning tapering (for a total of 3 months after reinstating, right now i feel about 80% back to normal)? especially because i came off lamictal quickly and stopped completely around 2 months ago. would the change in wellbutrin type affect how quickly i should taper? because according to the wellbutrin in guide i’d have to switch to IR and dose 3x a day 

 

im realizing i have to work on my daily schedule because of the multiple daily doses necessary to slowly taper off welbutrin

Edited January 17, 2022 by Shep
removed old username

[cookie95]

12 hours ago, Gridley said:

We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your current dose every four weeks.

 

need to mention - although i feel much better and feel close to normal after reinstating 300mg of wellbutrin XL for 2 months, i've been inconsistent with my doses and sometimes skipping (i realize how bad it is now, wreaking havoc on my system). i haven't been very consistent for the past half year (never skipping for more than 3 days). the wd symptoms made it even harder to stay consistent. i've also been incorrectly cutting XL pills at the direction of my doctor. i now know that's extremely unsafe and haven't cut any XL pills since reinstating 2 months ago

 

would it be best if i got my routine together, try and take the wellbutrin consistently at the same time every morning for at least 2 weeks? (or longer?) to give my system a chance to settle before starting the taper. i've started a log to keep track of the time i take my meds + any wd symptoms and am going to get my parents on board to support me. need to adjust my mindset to seeing this as a years long marathon and i have to be taking my meds correctly the whole way, and that i have to take these drugs seriously. i never thought that it would take me years to taper off. should i assume i've caused damage to my system with the inconsistent doses and exercise more caution? i will bring this up with my doctor as well, but my hopes for her are low

[Gridley]

On 5/8/2020 at 5:14 AM, Cookie95 said:

would it be best if i got my routine together, try and take the wellbutrin consistently at the same time every morning for at least 2 weeks? (or longer?) to give my system a chance to settle before starting the taper.

Let's think longer than 2 weeks---let's see how you feel in 6 weeks and go from there.

 

On 5/8/2020 at 5:14 AM, Cookie95 said:

i've started a log to keep track of the time i take my meds + any wd symptoms and am going to get my parents on board to support me. need to adjust my mindset to seeing this as a years long marathon and i have to be taking my meds correctly the whole way, and that i have to take these drugs seriously.

 

That is a very good idea and this new mindset will serve you well in healing.

 

On 5/8/2020 at 5:14 AM, Cookie95 said:

should i assume i've caused damage to my system with the inconsistent doses and exercise more caution?

The damage is not permanent.  But, yes, you should take this seriously and exercise more caution.

 

On 5/8/2020 at 5:14 AM, Cookie95 said:

i will bring this up with my doctor as well, but my hopes for her are low

 

You are probably accurate in having low hopes.  Remember, it is your body and doctors know nothing about safe tapering.  

Edited January 17, 2022 by Shep
removed old username from quote boxes

[cookie95]

7 hours ago, Gridley said:

Let's think longer than 2 weeks---let's see how you feel in 6 weeks and go from there.

 

 

That is a very good idea and this new mindset will serve you well in healing.

 

The damage is not permanent.  But, yes, you should take this seriously and exercise more caution.

 

 

You are probably accurate in having low hopes.  Remember, it is your body and doctors know nothing about safe tapering.  

 

you are right, i will wait 6 weeks and note any changes. i’m feeling very frustrated that i wasted all this time since october because i tapered too quickly and wasnt careful so i had wd symptoms. i do have seasonal depression but im sure the med changes made it all the worse. i listened to my doctors who said both these drugs are easy to get off of and stretched their taper schedule to 2x as long, but that was still much too fast. im scared that i’ll have some kind of late wd from stopping lamictal completely 2 months ago. is that possible? and do you have any recs to help with the anxiety around these changes and tapering? im starting to get anxious about my body getting used to 300mg again and feel that i should have stayed in 150 despite the symptoms. i wasnt given the option at the time about going up less bc i was told there are only two doses and the jump between them is small

 

my appointment was pushed back two weeks but that’s okay since i have plenty to work on right now. thank you so much for your input

[Gridley]

Cookie95,

 

On 5/8/2020 at 6:13 PM, Cookie95 said:

i’m feeling very frustrated that i wasted all this time since october because i tapered too quickly and wasnt careful so i had wd symptoms.

 

Please don't be hard on yourself.  I think it's safe to say that 100% of the members here have made mistakes.  I know I did.

 

On 5/8/2020 at 6:13 PM, Cookie95 said:

listened to my doctors who said both these drugs are easy to get off of and stretched their taper schedule to 2x as long, but that was still much too fast. i

 

We are trained to listen to these doctors who know nothing.  Think about the good aspect: that you had the sense to stretch the doctors' taper.  That was a big help to you.

 

On 5/8/2020 at 6:13 PM, Cookie95 said:

 im scared that i’ll have some kind of late wd from stopping lamictal completely 2 months ago. is that possible?

There's no way to tell.  In terms of how to approach the situation, it's best to assume that all will be well.  If not, you can deal with it when the time comes.

 

On 5/8/2020 at 6:13 PM, Cookie95 said:

do you have any recs to help with the anxiety around these changes and tapering?

 

The following techniques are very helpful with anxiety.  The last link, restortorative yoga pose, I've found very good for anxiety.

 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes
 

VIDEO:  Peace from Nervous Suffering - Claire Weekes (1 hour) (http://sendvid.com/vgquc1dg)
 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help …

 

10 minute Restorative Yoga for Relaxation | Up the wall

 

 

Edited January 17, 2022 by Shep
removed old username from quote boxes

[cookie95]

On 5/8/2020 at 7:14 PM, Gridley said:

 

 

 

Please don't be hard on yourself.  I think it's safe to say that 100% of the members here have made mistakes.  I know I did.

 

 

We are trained to listen to these doctors who know nothing.  Think about the good aspect: that you had the sense to stretch the doctors' taper.  That was a big help to you.

 

There's no way to tell.  In terms of how to approach the situation, it's best to assume that all will be well.  If not, you can deal with it when the time comes.

 

 

The following techniques are very helpful with anxiety.  The last link, restortorative yoga pose, I've found very good for anxiety.

 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes
 

VIDEO:  Peace from Nervous Suffering - Claire Weekes (1 hour) (http://sendvid.com/vgquc1dg)
 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help …

 

10 minute Restorative Yoga for Relaxation | Up the wall

 

 

 

thank you...yes, i wont let myself be swayed by these doctors again especially now that i know what is possible. talked to my parents and they’re ready to help me. will be working on regulating sleep and taking the meds at the same time every morning for the next few weeks

 

 i wish i didn’t have to learn through trial and error but that’s just where we are. im terrified i’ll be a different person off of these meds because it means i’ll have wasted all these years. but obviously, i wont find out for years and i have plenty of living and growing to do that whole way. im scared i’ll have permanent damage or long lasting symptoms from this med change, but like you said there’s no way of knowing yet. 

 

in the case i start getting nightmares again/waking up with panic attacks, would you recommend against the prazosin which is a blood pressure med? i took 1mg as needed for a total of 7 days because i hadn’t had proper sleep in months by that point due to wd. i dont know if prazosin would be safe for me if my nightmares/panic ever got that bad again

 

that yoga video was very helpful, ty!

[Colonial]

Hi there,

My doctor also told me I'd have no problem cutting my Wellbutrin in half from 300 to 150 because I was "Only" on it for 6 months.

It did not go well.

 

Eventually took me a bit over 3 years to get off the other 150, but I was tapering a 2nd drug at the same time.

That also did not go well.

 

So as Gridley said most of us here made mistakes.

Hang around long enough you'll learn a lot and get some great advice. 🙂

[cookie95]

1 hour ago, Colonial said:

Hi there,

My doctor also told me I'd have no problem cutting my Wellbutrin in half from 300 to 150 because I was "Only" on it for 6 months.

It did not go well.

 

Eventually took me a bit over 3 years to get off the other 150, but I was tapering a 2nd drug at the same time.

That also did not go well.

 

So as Gridley said most of us here made mistakes.

Hang around long enough you'll learn a lot and get some great advice. 🙂

 

hi! im sorry they did not go well 😞 what kind of symptoms did you have? i hope you’re doing better now! thank you, i hope i can make some progress soon

[Gridley]

On 5/8/2020 at 9:48 PM, Cookie95 said:

im scared i’ll have permanent damage or long lasting symptoms from this med change, but like you said there’s no way of knowing yet. 

There is no permanent damage from these meds, and any symptoms will go away in time.

 

On 5/8/2020 at 9:48 PM, Cookie95 said:

would you recommend against the prazosin which is a blood pressure med? i took 1mg as needed for a total of 7 days 

Prazosin is an alpha blocker that requires careful tapering to avoid blood pressure increases. After only 7 days, I think you would be fine just to stop.  I would stay away from it in the future.

 

Here are some links to help you with your sleep.

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

 

Relaxation exercises, guided meditations, calming videos, sleep hypnosis

 

Trick 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

 

Some members have found Melatonin helpful with insomnia.   

See Melatonin for sleep   It's best to start at a very low dosage, such as .25mg, and gradually increase if needed to the lowest effective dose.  

 

Edited January 17, 2022 by Shep
removed old username from quote boxes

[cookie95]

i found this site originally thru twitter and it’s been very helpful through my tapering journey. 

 

med history:

2012- lexapro and ativan, off both due to side effect

2013- effexor, off due to side effect

2014- wellbutrin 

2015- off wellbutrin, onto zoloft, went off zoloft quickly back onto wellbutrin 350mg

2016- added lamictal 250mg and mirena IUD

2017- tried to taper off wellbutrin, tapered off too fast under doctor advice, tried vyvanse/adderall/ritalin but discontinued quickly because of side effects

2019- tried again, still too fast, caused depersonalization, akathisia, nightmares, no sleep, etc. started microgestin (combo birth control pill) which gave me severe chronic fatigue after 10 months. started breaking out into hives randomly when stressed as well

2020- tapered off lamictal completely by april 2020 and now at 18mg wellbutrin IR once a day as of oct 2020. stopped hormonal bc august 2020

 

supplements since sep 2020: 350mg magnesium glycinate + topical magnesium chloride, 300mg l-theanine, 2g inositol daily with blue lotus/nettle/ashwaganda/raspberry leaf tea, lion’s mane tincture. i may be adding gotu kola and black seed oil soon

 

i eat high protein (meat, fish, seafood, etc) and low carb diet 

i also see an acupuncturist and herbalist semi-reguarly but less so during covid

 

for the lamictal, i did a fast taper by cutting it in half for each reduction and was off within a month which i didnt realize was much too fast until later. i did not experience much side effects from the tapering but was having constant depression, body dysmorphia, high anxiety, sleep disturbances from the wellbutrin taper months before and because of lockdown

 

for wellbutrin i have been tapering 20-50mg (300>250>200>150>100>75>37.5>18.75mg) every 2-8 weeks and holding depending on what’s going on in my life. within the past month my depression and low energy has been lifting, my tachycardia from the wellbutrin has been improving. especially by supplementing magnesium i now have enough energy and concentration to take walks, drive, socialize, and work on craft projects. anxiety almost down to nothing, it really was a game changer for me. magnesium also made my heavy and painful periods manageable, i guess i was just very deficient to begin with. i only started birth control for my periods. my family is very supportive. my metabolism, appetite, and digestion still needs time to normalize and adjust when i am med-free. i am trying to cut out refined sugar and seed oils from my diet this month to help my gut health and reduce inflammation but struggle with sugar cravings. i think the hormonal bc and long term psych med usage has messed with my metabolism/energy levels and depleted minerals in my body. weight is normal but i have the energy of an old lady. i can now be out for about 2 hrs walking around. i no longer feel excessively hot like when i was on higher dose if wellbutrin

 

when i made the switch to wellbutrin IR i took it twice a day, because i have trouble cutting it any smaller for 3x a day. i know thats not ideal based on the SA guide but the pill tends to crumble. starting from yesterday i take 18mg wellbutrin IR once a day. I’m not sure if I should just drop to 0 in two weeks or cut it to ~9mg as I’ve had minimal side effects the past two reductions. i might just go down to 9mg once a day to be safe, and then cutting in half again to 4.5mg once a day. general well being is improving, but still have bouts of low energy and depression and body dysmorphia that seem consistent with the state of my physical health (not much exercise for a year due to chronic fatigue) and trauma history. still very bad sleep pattern that i have to work on

 

i have a new outlook on life and im taking my nutrition and health more seriously especially as im close to being med free. i know i can be healthy and live happily without any of these meds or being dependent on anything. every day i see another friend or peer struggle with psych meds or some other bs drug wreaking havoc on their body and feeling stuck and i dont want that for myself anymore. i am preserving my energy and staying the hell away from any “friend” who cannot support my lifestyle changes. i am still worried about withdrawal and withdrawal depression or other symptoms that i read about but all i can do is get off this med and see what happens. i want to get this over with so i can get healthy and pursue my career as i’ve been unemployed due to health. i struggle with body image and career anxiety esp due to covid

 

years of being bullied by therapists and quack psychiatrists and being told i was borderline, schizo, treatment resistant, etc and yet i am almost free. i was told i would have to be on meds for life, that tapering would lead me to become suicidal and depressed and i’d land back in their office worse than ever (if i followed their bs taper plan) and yet i feel decent right now. told i would need therapy or else. they told me i was doomed and pathologized me for just being a teenage girl. all i paid for was brainwashing and the feeding of my body dysmorphia lol. taught to undermine my worth and potential, taught to enslave myself to big pharma and compromise my values and accept gaslighting. what a sick lie they were selling to a teenager and a college student, from people with no common sense or self awareness who just want to keep their pockets lined by drugging us. sick. i dont know how they live with themselves

 

if anyone has suggestions, please let me know. im excited to be nearly med free!!!

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, cookie95.  Congratulation on being so close to be drug-free.

 

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.  A list format is best.  You'll need to use a computer rather than a phone.  You can just copy the information in your post but please add doses and the rate and method of your Wellbutrin taper.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

Our standard taper is to reduce by no more than 10% of current dose every four weeks.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The following link is specifically about tapering Wellbutrin and, as you'll see, it allows some variance from the 10% taper.  You're very close to the end, so much of the information may not be relevant but some may.

Tips for tapering off buproprion (Wellbutrin, SR, XR, XL)

 

5 hours ago, cookie95 said:

upplements since sep 2020: 350mg magnesium glycinate + topical magnesium chloride, 300mg l-theanine, 2g inositol daily with blue lotus/nettle/ashwaganda/raspberry leaf tea, lion’s mane tincture. i may be adding gotu kola and black seed oil soon

 

If these are working for you, great.  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 (which you're already taking) 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  

 

We recommend adding supplements in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. We also recommend single-ingredient supplements because with multi-ingredient supplements, if there's a problem you won't know the cause.  Ashwaganda works for some people but for me it had a paradoxical effect and made me anxious.

 

Regarding the acupuncturist, we recommend that you ask that only sedating (not activating) points we done.

 

5 hours ago, cookie95 said:

I’m not sure if I should just drop to 0 in two weeks or cut it to ~9mg as I’ve had minimal side effects the past two reductions. i might just go down to 9mg once a day to be safe, and then cutting in half again to 4.5mg once a day. 

I'd recommend you get as low as you can before jumping to zero.  You also might want to have a couple of longer holds here at the end just to let any residual build-up from previous tapers clear out.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can do your drug signature, ask questions and connect with other members. We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cookie95]

 

1 hour ago, Gridley said:

I'd recommend you get as low as you can before jumping to zero.  You also might want to have a couple of longer holds here at the end just to let any residual build-up from previous tapers clear out.

 

thank you!! how long would you suggest for each hold? maybe i'll taper down to 9.3mg IR and then 4.2mg IR for 2-3 weeks each? or would longer be better, im not sure i understand what is built up. does it mean WD symptoms may come out later on? i will also check out fish oil

[Gridley]

24 minutes ago, cookie95 said:

 

 

thank you!! how long would you suggest for each hold? maybe i'll taper down to 9.3mg IR and then 4.2mg IR for 2-3 weeks each? or would longer be better, im not sure i understand what is built up. does it mean WD symptoms may come out later on? i will also check out fish oil

Six weeks would be a good hold between drops.  By "build up" I mean that sometimes symptoms can be delayed, and here in what we call the Endgame Taper, it's good to wait and let any delayed symptoms smooth out before a further drop.

 

8 hours ago, cookie95 said:

starting from yesterday i take 18mg wellbutrin IR once a day.

I'm not sure this is wise.  If you can, I'd split it into two 9mg doses.  Then I'd hold there for 6 weeks.  I know you're in a hurry to be off the drug but you are having some symptoms, which indicates you may be tapering too fast.  If at the end of six weeks you're feeling stable, you could go to 4.5 twice a day for 6 weeks.  

 

Wellbutrin tapers are often faster than other AD tapers, but I'd like to see you get down as low as possible before jumping to zero. It's up to you when you jump to zero, but I'd take a conservative approach personally.  I know the pills are hard to cut at the low dosages.  One possibility if you want to halve your 4.5 dose  to around 2.2mg would be to use a digital scale like the Gemini-20 scale, available on Amazon.  You could weigh your 4.5 dose, then grind it into powder between two spoons and weigh out half of whatever the 4.5 weight is for your 2.2mg dose.  You could even do another half to 1.1mg.   The scale approach would also  work if you're having trouble splitting the 18mg doses.

[cookie95]

11 hours ago, Gridley said:

I'm not sure this is wise.  If you can, I'd split it into two 9mg doses.  Then I'd hold there for 6 weeks.  I know you're in a hurry to be off the drug but you are having some symptoms, which indicates you may be tapering too fast.  If at the end of six weeks you're feeling stable, you could go to 4.5 twice a day for 6 weeks.

 

ok that makes sense, starting tomorrow i'll take 9mg 2x a day to be safe and hold and see how i feel. no point in being too rushed if playing it safe reduces WD. i usually feel like i've been hit with a bit of cold every time i taper, today is the same. i have a scale but i might consider a compound pharmacy to make a liquid but im not sure how difficult/expensive that would be?

[Gridley]

6 hours ago, cookie95 said:

compound pharmacy to make a liquid but im not sure how difficult/expensive that would be?

I don't know.  It would be a good idea to check it out.

[cookie95]

just wanted to update!

 

I finished my last dose of ~4mg on 11/9/20. have been med free for one month now, and have been gradually improving every day (with the exception of the week of my period where i lose all energy). i’ve been supplementing with 800mg-1g of magnesium glycinate, topical magnesium chloride, 600-800g of l-theanine, 2-4g of inositol, 1 tbspn black seed oil daily. magnesium has pretty much eliminated pain and mood symptoms on my period. i also use blue lotus, lion’s mane, gotu kola, magnolia bark occasionally. activated b-vitamin and thiamine during the day when i remember it. i try to eat primarily organic animal products. 

 

i have little depressive symptoms or anxiety and i manage stress astonishingly well for my condition as I had a major life stressor about two weeks ago. cried it out and im back on my feet trying to get my sleep and diet back in order. i am socializing and looking forward to the future, and i try to walk and get fresh air regularly. little sign of the usual seasonal depression that creeps in this time of year, but im realizing it’s bc im experiencing real connection/appreciation from others i havent had in over a year while i was basically housebound. i also attribute my stability to the supplements, i feel off if i forget to take it. i laugh a lot. i try to ignore the media fear mongering that is ramping up, and anything that doesnt serve my recovery esp in these early months off meds. friends who couldn’t support my path to wellness in mind body and soul have just fallen away. its a bit lonely but i feel resilient and supported 

 

will post future updates if anything arises! i got some herbs from acupuncturist that i haven’t tried just yet 

[ChessieCat]

11 hours ago, cookie95 said:

i got some herbs from acupuncturist that i haven’t tried just yet 

 

I suggest that you research them before trying them and if possible try them individually and only a small amount to start.

[cookie95]

On 12/7/2020 at 2:55 PM, ChessieCat said:

I suggest that you research them before trying them and if possible try them individually and only a small amount to start.

 

Yes, I started them one by one and it wasn’t too big of a deal!

 

Had a rough bout of seasonal depression, mostly fatigue and sleepiness and lack of desire to do anything (not that there’s much to do months into lockdown). things are starting to pick up again as i finally have some sunlight now. my parents want me to rule out autoimmune conditions for this fatigue so will be getting bloodwork done. I noticed my sleep and mood is completely out of whack about a week before my period (i turn nocturnal and stopped oral BC in August and it’s getting a little worse each month) so i’m kind of at a loss as to what to do about that. if any ladies have experience with fixing their period issues with lifestyle/diet/etc please let me know!

[arbor]

How are you doing, @cookie95?

Arbor

[cookie95]

1 hour ago, arbor said:

How are you doing, @cookie95?

Arbor

Hi Arbor,

 

I’m doing pretty good, I’m still pretty low energy though and experience especially low energy around my period. working on fixing that has been slow but otherwise I try to exercise and get on with my life. i wish i could recover faster and the pandemic stress really hasnt been helping. it would be stressful enough trying to recover under normal conditions

[arbor]

Glad to hear you're hanging in there.  Yes, the pandemic is a big stress on top of what we're going through, and on top of that there's climate change as well--🔥💜🥴

[cookie95]

10 hours ago, arbor said:

Glad to hear you're hanging in there.  Yes, the pandemic is a big stress on top of what we're going through, and on top of that there's climate change as well--🔥💜🥴

 

yea it’s a lot! it feels like too much to worry about so i try to focus on what’s in my control

 

i stopped all meds end of 10/20 and was tested for gut issues, hormonal imbalance, and neurotransmitter levels. i take supplements given by a naturopath now and see significant improvement even if i wish it was faster. i work out 3x a week and still struggle with brain fog and concentration but i hope that abates soon. i just want to get back to my life but im pretty isolated and dont feel connected with people. might move soon to change that

[Altostrata]

How are you doing, @cookie95?

[cookie95]

9 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

How are you doing, @cookie95?

been pretty good! i’m pretty much back to normal and am moving forward with my life. started a job and moved to a new city. as far as i can tell, i dont believe there are any standout symptoms from the meds, although i still am healing from the fatigue/hormonal issues that i had before starting them. i function normally and i feel positive about my ability to get my health to where i want it to be, although i still struggle with uncertainty that seems pretty common for me and my mid-20s peers 😅

 

my symptoms are mostly gone, but i think i struggle with the time lost while trying to get off these meds. sometimes setbacks happen in life so i should try to view it that way. doctors and people in general dont understand what it took for me to recover and remove myself from psychiatry and change my perspective towards health, so that can feel isolating. it’s pretty common to see friends/peers start meds (idk if it’s my peer group or my line of work or just everyone right now) due to the pandemic stress and that’s a bit sad to see

 

[Altostrata]

Yes, it's hard to come to terms with that lost time. Please summarize your drug and withdrawal history in your signature  so people can see where you've come from.

 

Because you're feeling better, I added our cheerful "here comes the sun" symbol ☼ to the title of your Intro topic, to show you're recovering.

 

Please continue to let us know how you're doing. I hope you will add your story to our Recovery Success Stories eventually!

 

Please see this topic:  How to write your success story