Ryan95 Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 Started Zoloft 6 years ago and it worked for my GAD & Health Anxiety and I took it for 2-3 years and went off it cold turkey. 3 years later I got covid Dec 27 2021 and my anxiety was back then got the first dose of the vaccine Jan. 17 2022 and was prescribed Zoloft Jan. 27 25 mg and took it for 3 days then upped to 50 mg for 2 days and was in ER twice for heart palpitations. Discontinued zoloft. Startedmirtzapine 7.5 mg Feb. 3rd and only took one dose and discontinued. Then was giving Trazadone 25 mg for insomnia/get my sleep under control on Feb. 10th. I Was then put on Buspar 5 mg on March 2nd and took for 6 days before ending up in ER for burning sensations and internal vibrations and discontinued buspar. Then was put back on zoloft 25 mg March 17th and took it for 4 days and vibrating sensations got worse and are now constant in my head, which I can’t sleep, and throughout my body.Discontinued again and not sure if I messed up my brain/nervous system from the medication or if it’s Covid and was wondering if I should start a new anxiety medication or is this all happening from going on and off meds or if it’s from covid. I’ve taken trazadone, gabapentin, and melatonin throughout the past 3 months for insomnia. Would really appreciate the help/advice! Link to comment
Moderator Onmyway Posted March 27, 2022 Moderator Share Posted March 27, 2022 Hi @Ryan95, welcome to SA. We are a site for coming off of antidepressants in a way that limits the withdrawal symptoms of associated with the process. We can provide advice on how to taper safely if and when you decide to come off of your medications. We do not advise on what medications to take, what to come off of and add, what the 'right' cocktail might be. You have had lots of 'challenges' to your body and your nervous system. Why were you advised to take the vaccine 3 weeks AFTER having Covid? You have been on so many medications - starting and stopping (assuming without tapering) that no wonder your nervous system is shattered. Good news is it will recover but that process of recovery may be slow and unpleasant. The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants What is happening in your brain? - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants What medicines are you on right now? Can you pls fill in your drug signature? How to List Drug History in Signature - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants For now keep taking your medications as you are (do not go off of them cold turkey). I'd discourage adding new things as your brain needs stability but that is ultimately a decision that you need to make. If you do want to come off of those drugs this is how you would do that. Why taper by 10% of my dosage? - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants Why taper? SERT transporter occupancy studies show importance of gradual change in plasma concentration - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants Hope you start feeling better soon, OMW "Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. Aug 2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used) Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up) September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0 Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering) citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg, 7/27/19 -1.5 mg, 8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate Link to comment
Ryan95 Posted March 27, 2022 Author Share Posted March 27, 2022 12 minutes ago, Onmyway said: Hi @Ryan95, welcome to SA. We are a site for coming off of antidepressants in a way that limits the withdrawal symptoms of associated with the process. We can provide advice on how to taper safely if and when you decide to come off of your medications. We do not advise on what medications to take, what to come off of and add, what the 'right' cocktail might be. You have had lots of 'challenges' to your body and your nervous system. Why were you advised to take the vaccine 3 weeks AFTER having Covid? You have been on so many medications - starting and stopping (assuming without tapering) that no wonder your nervous system is shattered. Good news is it will recover but that process of recovery may be slow and unpleasant. The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants What is happening in your brain? - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants What medicines are you on right now? Can you pls fill in your drug signature? How to List Drug History in Signature - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants For now keep taking your medications as you are (do not go off of them cold turkey). I'd discourage adding new things as your brain needs stability but that is ultimately a decision that you need to make. If you do want to come off of those drugs this is how you would do that. Why taper by 10% of my dosage? - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants Why taper? SERT transporter occupancy studies show importance of gradual change in plasma concentration - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants Hope you start feeling better soon, OMW @OnmywayI appreciate the response! I got the vaccine out of ignorance/fear to be honest and nobody told me it could be a problem to get it that early after having covid. I’ve dealt with severe anxiety since getting sick (was previously anxiety free for years and off zoloft) and all the meds I listed I wasn’t on any of them for more than a week besides trazadone (currently still on) and melatonin. I am currently taking trazadone still 50 mg for insomnia and my doctor just put me on Prozac 20 mg for anxiety/depression + take a vitamin D3 supplement and miralax is all I’m currently on. I was hesitant to start another medication because I’ve reacted poorly to everyone Ive tried but my anxiety is so bad/controlling my life alongside my whole body feels shaky/vibrating internally all day 24/7. I was diagnosed with long covid in the ER and all my blood test have come back normal. Waiting on full spine/pelvic MRI results and got a brain mri/EEG in coming weeks. The vibrating started after taking trazadone then adding in Buspar 5 mg but I’m not sure and my doctor didn’t think it was the medication and thought it was either anxiety or long covid (vibrations/shakiness a common long covid symptom) It just started 2 1/2 months of initial infection and I didn’t/don’t know if it was chronic anxiety/stress, messing with too many medications or Long covid symptom. It’s just getting worse and I don’t know what to do. I’m 26 years old and was previously healthy/active (besides anxiety history) until getting sick. I also quit smoking weed after I got sick and was a heavy smoker (daily for 4 years) and quit alcohol as well. Link to comment
Moderator Onmyway Posted March 29, 2022 Moderator Share Posted March 29, 2022 (edited) Hi @Ryan95, here is how we at SA understand what has happened to you in the last few months. 1) Covid-19 has impacted your nervous system - it is a common consequence of Covid - e.g. loss of smell is also a nervous system issue. 2) You and your doctors have then experimented with multiple drugs to lower your anxiety level even though there was no indication that these drugs would have any impact. These drugs change serotonin and there is no evidence that you had issues with serotonin (nor can actually anyone measure this). The serotonin imbalance trope is a myth and the antidepressants are no better than placebo on average. To be honest, your doctor does not seem to know what they are doing and any new symptoms they attribute to anxiety. It is not uncommon for doctors to mistake iatrogenic harm to 'underlying issues' Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect - PMC (nih.gov) Debunking the Two Chemical Imbalance Myths, Again (psychiatrictimes.com) 3) The many drugs and their quick stopping have destabilized your nervous system and some of them seem to have some severe side effects that you are ignoring (vibration). The brain is a finely tuned machine that is very adaptable but also can get out of tune and you have basically been throwing various things at it with no effect. What we at SA would recommend (and I already did above but you ignored) is to not add any more drugs and to slowly allow your brain to recover. I am convinced that you will not be helped by any more meds (but you can try). Once the brain gets destabilized to this level it gets sensitized to new meds. Your years of pot use have perhaps contributed to the kindling you are observing. Any new additions are likely to make things worse. You are, in the end, responsible for your own care but our advice would be to accept what has happened and allow your body to recover over months and years. We advise no use of any other psychoactive substances - alcohol, pot, other drugs, herbs etc. We find that magnesium and Omega-3s aid this process of recovery for most people. But start small as highly sensitized nervous systems can react badly to even usually innocuous substances. What you choose to do is up to you. We really can't help beyond this. I am wishing you a quick recovery and a quick return to health. OMW Edited March 29, 2022 by Onmyway "Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. Aug 2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used) Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up) September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0 Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering) citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg, 7/27/19 -1.5 mg, 8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate Link to comment
OldDodgy Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 @Ryan95 I am very sorry that you seem to have bounced from one medication to another. If you look at my signature you will see I was similarly misled. SA could aptly be named Surviving overmedication. I would take the advice given so far very seriously. As for Covid —I am on day 5 of acute Omicron —-it effects sleep and the isolation effects anxiety. So I certainly wouldn’t take extra meds at that vulnerable time. In the U.K. we have to wait 28 after Covid before having a jab. I hope you settle soon OldDodgy My Intro topic. Was Dickie in FB gabapentinoids 2020 January Stopped Quetiapine 150 at night in a fairly chaotic fashion with holds, jumping at 6mg 2020 June Stopped Pregabalin 150 at night using Ashton Method Some holds. 2021 December Stopped Mirtazipine 15 using Ashton Method. (Slower at end). Nov 21 - Given Quetiapine 12.5 for sleep. Reduced mid March 2022 to 6mg - Off 30/5/22 Feb 2022 Ongoing Diazepam 17.5, Blip at Christmas when took 22.5mg for a few days, now 24 FEB Stable 17.5 as advised. Had long covid. Now going to 16.25 from 8/7/22. 7% drop Oxazepam 10mg.STOPPED 10th FEB 2022 “Rescue dose x 2 in 2 months. Buccastem 3mg less than 1 a month for nausea. Past meds since 1969 -Approx dates only available. Tranxene 15, Clomipramine 150 for about 25 years. 1993 Paroxetine 20 AD change. Diazepam 20mg swap from Tranxene. Oxazepam 10mg Prn since 1990's 1995 Trial of MAOIS. 2000 Escitaopram 10mg. 2015 trial of Trazadone. 2004 Pregabalin 150 at night. 2015 Started on Quetiapine 150 note, Mirtazipine 15 note. Diazepam increased to 30mg split dosing. Link to comment
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