Anna42 : need info about tapering and self-managment

[Anna42]

Hey everyone, i am very new to this site, i guess this is my introductory post, hope to do it right, would love to taper off zoloft 100 mg and aripiprazol 5 mg, but this site says not to do so if you have self-management problems. I have procrastination problems, which made me really sad, suicidally so, which is why i had meds in the first place. Any tips and techniques how to stop that for good are greatly appreaciated. Also general support is welcome, i have supportive mom and dad but i am scared of burdening them. Also if you tapered off this drugs specifically, tell me how to start, how to cope and what to tell my psychiatrist if anything. Sorry for any mistakes, i am new to this site and English is not my first language.

 

Also I am confused about how to add a signature, and can I leave out the years and, as I have memory problems and confirming my history can take some time? Thank you

Edited November 19, 2021 by Kiasofia
merged two posts

[Kiasofia]

Welcome @Anna42

I'm glad you found us before starting your taper. Here are some links to get you started.

Preparing to taper

Important topics about symptoms and self care

 

Coming off these drugs can cause many different withdrawal symptoms, often leading to doctors thinking the original condition is returning or that another mental illness has emerged.

What is withdrawal syndrome?

 

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist

 

 

I found this post helpful to understand how these drugs actually work, why a slow taper is important and why healing takes time:

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

About tapering

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

NEVER SKIP DOSES TO TAPER

Tips for tapering off sertraline (Zoloft)

Tips for tapering off aripiprazole (Abilify)

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

To add a signature go to this link

Create Your Signature in "Account Settings"

 

The most important is to show that you are taking zoloft 100 mg and aripiprazol 5 mg and how long you have been taking them. Are these the only drugs you take now? What about vitamins/supplements? When did you first start taking psychiatric medications? Have you taken many different ones? Have you stopped taking any the last two years?

 

I've given you quite a bit of information here.  Please read through it, and think about it, and we will take it from there.

 

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

Edited November 19, 2021 by Kiasofia

[Anna42]

Hey, thanks for approving me, i have been taking my current assorment of meds for a month, but i was on other meds, before that is anafranil XR and aripiprazol 5mg , decided to stop cold turkey after an overdose attempt (should i add tw here?) Had no wd symptoms for 2 months ecsept (sorry for spelling) my internet addiction returned and then suicidal thoughts and despair cause of web addiction (i think this is called post acute wd symptom?) Before that i was on Velofaxin and other drug for a year (my mom says i seemed mad at that time lol) and before that on Paxil and some AP for a year also. Sorry for a long sentence I also had a weird AP that made me active and productive and then ahedonic. I will put all of that i n my signature soon i hope. I hope to cope without meds with DBT therapy. I also wanted to look into narrative therapy but it is hard to do by yourself

[Anna42]

If anyone has done narrative therapy by themselves or seen self-help books and articles to use for that purpose please feel free to share. Also general support on this journey would be nice, i am kinda alone, only mom understands but not quite

[Kiasofia]

We will need to see a drug signature in order to give you advice. It is possible that the drugs you are taking now are lessening withdrawal from other drugs you have recently quit. If so it might be best to wait to taper until your body has dealt with any withdrawal issues. A clear overview of your history will help us decide what to advise you. In the mean time, please make sure to read the links I gave.

[Anna42]

@Kiasofia  I will read all you sent me and do my signature, thanks for answering! I already have an a appointment with a psychiatrist next week where i want to say that i want to stop meds, do not know what will come of it. Do you have any tips of what should i say there?

[Anna42]

Is my signature alright?

[ChessieCat]

54 minutes ago, Anna42 said:

I already have an a appointment with a psychiatrist next week where i want to say that i want to stop meds, do not know what will come of it. Do you have any tips of what should i say there?

 

Unfortunately not many medical professionals know how to get people of psychiatric drugs carefully, which is why SA and other similar sites exist.  Some members do not even tell their doctor that they are tapering.  The only thing you need is a doctor who will write a prescription for your drug.

 

Perhaps you could ask the doctor the question about "if I wanted to stop taking my drug how would I go about it?"  That way you are not saying that you want to get off, you are just asking to find out their answer.  However, I would urge you to be cautious, because if you live somewhere where it is difficult to get a doctor or you like the doctor that you have, then you might find it better to not ask and not tell them.

 

If you do want to talk to your doctor about getting off your drugs then I suggest that before you see them, write down what you want to say and rehearse it.

 

how-to-talk-to-a-doctor-about-tapering-and-withdrawal-what-to-expect

 

14 minutes ago, Anna42 said:

Is my signature alright?

 

Thank you for creating your signature.  Please add the doses.

[Faure]

Hi, welcome to SA.  There is this fairly new website about anti depressant withdrawal that you may find interesting / useful and if you have an open minded psychiatrist they may be interested too. Also if you have time there is a 3 day Mental Wealth Summit next week (just a couple of hours each evening UK time) that you may find useful and interesting.

 

Do make sure you do your own research and make your own well informed decisions. Psychiatrists don’t often know about how to get people off these drugs, advise stupidly fast tapers and can’t do anything to help if it all goes wrong (I know, I had just such a psychiatrist).  

[Anna42]

@FaureThanks a lot of answering! Also thanks for inner compass, it is great, i love their journaling exercises! As for a 3 day event, might have to skip this one, as it is late time in my timezone, will the event be recorded and posted on youtube?

[Anna42]

My head hurts right now for whatever reason, i will gather my thoughts, read resources and make a plan of action when i feel better. I also found a way to deal with procrastination that might just work! Also also thinking of using journaling and ACT therapy as coping methods. Also art of all forms. That was an update corner!

[Kiasofia]

Did you notice any withdrawal symptoms when you quit in July? What was the reason for starting Zoloft and restarting Aripiprazol in late October? How have you felt since starting Zoloft and Aripiprazol?

[Anna42]

@Kiasofia I had an attempt - AP overdose, and realised that meds might be dangerous to have around. It was an emotional decision. I started zoloft in october cause i become  very suicidal a week before. On zoloft suicidal thoughts mostly ended, i sleep right after taking the med and am slightly more irritable, also did drug interaction test online - and these drugs intensify low blood pressure symptoms like lightheadiness after standing up and those muscle twitches also, which i both have. Fun.

[Faure]

Glad the link was useful ☺️ I forgot to mention earlier about meditation. 

I have been doing this body scan almost daily since March 2020.  I noticed benefits immediately, I was able to keep from being overwhelmed by the pandemic and all the changes required to move my work online. I found it so beneficial I have kept it going about 5 days a week. My new mantra is mediatation is the best medication!  So do give it a go ☺️

[Anna42]

@Faure Thanks a lot, meditation is really good! I do not like body scans tho i am bad at them thanks for answering anyway, it is nice to know someone is willing to share their non-drug methods of coping and healing. I will try to share some stuff i found helpful too if people are interested

[Anna42]

I am getting weirdly obsessed with this forum - looking if anyone answered and such. Waiting for notifs. Not sure if it is just me or weird side effect.

[Anna42]

Took my meds even tho I desperately want to stop them. Having problems reading sometimes cause my head hurts, not sure if a side effect, my other weird illness or something else.

[Anna42]

Can not start doing anything right now, feeling hopeless. Hope to start something in the near future. If anyone is reading this, please help

[Anna42]

Also might have to start fast tapering cause nobody around me believes i should go slow and doing it alone seems really confusing, this fact scares me a lot, i wish i was not in this situation, sometimes it triggers hopeless and suicidal thoughts.

 

Side effect : I sleep a lot, it is annoying.

[Anna42]

Desperately need some emotional support, hope someone will answer at some point

[Anna42]

Feeling bad and i did not even started tapering yet. Seem to have no energy to start helping myself. Was anyone ever in this position?

[Anna42]

I feel so alone, learning to rely only on myself

[Anna42]

I feel so stupid, wanting to write something supportive to everyone, but not knowing what they are going through and that cheaapens my words. Cringing at the things i do write. Not everything is that bad, Dune Messiah is somewhat amusing.

[Kiasofia]

22 hours ago, Anna42 said:

I am getting weirdly obsessed with this forum - looking if anyone answered and such. Waiting for notifs. Not sure if it is just me or weird side effect.

You mentioned internet addiction previously. Being on a forum is a form of social media and people can get addicted to checking for replies. Please take breaks from being on the forum.

 

4 hours ago, Anna42 said:

Also might have to start fast tapering cause nobody around me believes i should go slow and doing it alone seems really confusing, this fact scares me a lot, i wish i was not in this situation, sometimes it triggers hopeless and suicidal thoughts.

You have gone on and off many drugs and this makes your central nervous system more and more sensitive and tapering can become difficult. You might be able to handle a faster taper than 10%, but should start slowly to see what you can tolerate. If zoloft lessened your suicidality then it is possible this feeling will return when you taper. Or it may have passed. It is hard to know. A fast taper can also trigger suicidality. So I urge you to take control of your situation and taper carefully.

 

I also hope you can find a therapist or someone else to confide in in real life while you go through this. Please give them information about withdrawal so they do not mistake your symptoms for relapse.

[Anna42]

@Kiasofia Thanks for answering, i am trying to take steps to not be on this forum as much and finding people to confide with. Breaking habits is hard but i will try to do my best. Might have to turn of my email notifs, they disrupted my reading. My suicidality is a tough beast, but I hope I will have enough precautions

[Anna42]

Hey everyone, i have an appointment tommorow where the evidence-based psychiatrist will look at my case and tell me their opinion and help me safely taper I hope. In other news, i am very sleepy which hinders my ability to cope, as all I want to do is lay in bed. Resources for both of these situations are always appreaciated

[Anna42]

Got suicidal god knows why, i feel so alone in this

Edit : i am fine! Reading works as a coping mechanism so far

[Anna42]

I apparently have an appointment on thursday, scared a bit. If anyone knows what to say to the doctor please share, i will start preparing what to say tommorow.

[manymoretodays]

Hi there Anna42,

So, in talking to the doctor, ..........is it a psychiatrist?

Do have a good look at the link that ChessieCat gave you above.  Talking to your doctor.

 

And then, have a good look at your present drugs on Drugs.com or Medscape.com

Look at the side effect profiles on both your drugs, and then you can simply say to the doctor, that you don't feel that drugs have ever really been the answer for you.  Perhaps say you would rather get after things by eventually learning non-drug coping and minimizing or getting free of psychoactive drugs.

 

Do use one of the sites above to check for any drug interactions between your medications too.  And then post that in a reply box here below.

 

I'd sure be prepared that the doctor may want you to stay put, for now, or HOLD, as it sounds like just recently you got to crisis point with an attempt on your own life.

 

Definitely, calmly as possible state that you would really like to HOLD, but at the lowest doses possible, right now, and then as soon as possible do some really careful tapering. 

 

Ask if they would partner with you in this endeavor.

 

Staying calm and collected is key.  Also, not always easy.  I blew it with my psychiatrist years ago, when trying to get another script with which to taper from.  Well, I don't know if I blew it, as she had quite the ego.  And......I brought a friend with me to my appointment, which I think made her nervous.  Just do your best.

If need be, you could always get a new psychiatrist on your payroll, if your present one is not meeting your needs, or won't team up with you at all. 

I ended up just not going back to my psychiatrist, and my GP was able to write the prescription for me, that I needed to complete my taper.

 

Tapering topics specific to your drugs:

Tips for tapering off Zoloft(sertraline)

Tips for tapering off Aripiprazol(Abilify)

 

You said you like reading and can read, so that is good, in your favor now.  Empower yourself with information.  And do a lot of planning.  This all takes time, and patience.

 

Good luck.

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

mmt

[Anna42]

@manymoretodaysthanks a lot for answering, i will do and read things you posted at some point, as I struggle with procrastination.

I googled interaction with my drugs already, they boost involuntary movements and low blood pressure symptoms like tiredness and lightheadness after standing up. It is a psychiatrist yes, they are the only people who prescribe those kind of meds in my country. Thanks again for answering, I am greatful to be able to read and sleep for now. I am scared of mentioning my suicidality, cause people go crazy with diagnosises and drugs after hearing that. How should I approach this?

[Anna42]

@manymoretodays @Kiasofia @Faure How do I remember all of the coping skills i have and train myself to use them in the hard times ( WD symptoms for example)?

Currently googling my question, as this forum seems very busy, not finding anything. The only way i remember is to have reminders everywhere and contiously do skills all the time, but you have to be well enough to do all this. The paradox

[Faure]

Are you able to access in person psychological support? I think that you would benefit greatly from support from a psychologist or counsellor (who understands AD withdrawal) so that you can learn to manage how you are feeling.  It may take you several months or even longer to learn these skills. It took me a couple of years with a therapist to learn the skills I needed to keep myself well. Then you will be in a better place to start managing yourself more easily.

 

Did you read the links Kaisofia put in their first post to you? They give you lots of information to get you started.  I am doing the BrassMonkey slide method of tapering which reduces 2.5% every week for 4 weeks, then a 2 week hold. It is very smooth and getting smoother the further through I am.
 

It would help you to spend the time before you see your psychiatrist to research both the 10% tapering method and the BrassMonkey slide and decide which one you want to do. Perhaps he or she could also arrange some counselling for you? 
 

I strongly discourage you from doing a fast taper as you mentioned a couple of days ago.  You take the very real risk of becoming very ill, very quickly. You just need to read some of the threads on here to see how awful withdrawal can be.
 

You have done the right thing coming here before you start tapering and making a solid plan will help you succeed.  Withdrawal effects can mean no work, no school, no going out, no money, life gets reduced to nothing, so please think very carefully about prioritising how to keep yourself well. The only person who can keep you well is you, not your doctor, not your parents, you decide and need to weigh up all the options with that in mind.  I really would suggest you start with some in person psychological help to get you into the right place to start learning how to manage yourself.  

[Faure]

55 minutes ago, Anna42 said:

[Anna42]

@Faurethanks a lot for answering and being very caring about my well-being! I will read stuff i read some, but not all, i have a habit of putting it off, i am sorry. I am having an appointment with psychologist next week, I will try to explain the info about withdrawal and not wanting meds, although i do not trust her to understand. I have the means to shop for therapists for now tho. I am starting to learn skills myself too, i have a lot of instruments in my toolbox i just do not Use them for some reason. Thanks a lot for answering again, I will try to make the best decision for my situation, or maybe delay it until i can manage myself better.

[Anna42]

Found 2 useful coping skills, hope nobody is annoyed by me on this site lol

[Anna42]

Greetings yet again, mods or anyone, I have a question about tapering drugs. It is said that you should taper antidepressant first, cause it is an accelerator and makes you anxious, but Zoloft obviously makes me sleepy, is it the drug interaction then? Am I being stupid? @Kiasofia