onetime Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 Hello all, I have completed my taper of all psych drugs 3 weeks ago. It took 3 years. I continue to have many of the withdrawal symptoms discussed on this platform. The most recent came on 1 week after I finished which is very bad itchy skin. I started to take an antihistamine which helps but I was wondering if this is the right thing to do. In other words, am I just kicking the can down the road? I would be grateful to hear from anyone who had this symptom and how they dealt with it. Thank you in advance. Prozac 2000 - 2018 Xanax Quetipine Mirtazipne 2018 Xanax 2mg per day - 10% per month - finished taper June 2020 Quetipine 100mg per day 10% per month - finished taper March 2021 Started to taper Mirtazipine 15mg per day 10% per month -started April 2021 Finished taper of 1.5mg approx( cutting with blade) on April 27th 2022. That is I jumped off at 1.5mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariel Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 Hello @onetime Congratulations on completing your taper! What an accomplishment. I hope you give yourself lots of credit for having come this far. Your question about antihistamines seems to be a popular one. You might be interested in these help topics: Best of luck to you on your healing journey, A. 1996-2018 - misc. polypharmacy, incl. SSRIs, SNRIs, neuroleptics, lithium, benzos, stimulants, antihistamines, etc. (approx. 30+ drugs) 2012-2018 - 10mg lexapro/escitalopram (20mg?) Jan. 2018 - 10mg -> 5mg, then from 5mg -> 2.5mg, then 0mg --> July 2018 - 0mg 2017(?)-2020 - vyvanse/lisdexamfetamine 60-70mg 2020-2021 - 70mg down to 0mg --> July 2021 - 0mg March-April 2021 - vortioxetine 5-10mg (approx. 7 weeks total; CT) --> April 28th, 2021 - 0mg August 2021 - 2mg melatonin August 1, 2022 - 1mg melatonin March 31, 2023 - 0mg melatonin 2024 supplements update: electrolyte blend in water sipped throughout the day; 1 tsp fish oil blend w/ morning meal (incl. vit. A+D+E); calcium; vitamin C+zinc Courage is fear that has said its prayers. - Karle Wilson Baker love and justice are not two. without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters. - Rev. angel Kyodo williams Holding multiple truths. Knowing that everyone has their own accurate view of the way things are. - text on homemade banner at Afiya house I am not a medical professional; this is not medical advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrona Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 aloe vera, homeopathy. can work esp. for "minor" problems. Apis mellifica. This remedy relieves swollen, itching, burning skin or lips, relieved by cold applications. Urtica urens. This relieves itching aggravated by cold and water. Other Remedies. Histaminum. This remedy relieves symptoms of allergies, such as hay fever, hives or urticaria. there are more. many years ago given sinequan for depression bad reaction so tiny dose of meleril to balance... quit after a year or so c/t years pass no drugs reg doc had me try all of the a/d bc of upset due to divorce. couldn't handle any. took klonopin to sleep .5 mg 2003 taper klonopin hooked on tramadol accidentally. 2006-2008 husband had migraines and took them like candy. so i became dependent too. c/t 2008 diagnosis of porphyria after years of symptoms, then toxic event made me really ill. gabapentin 300mg every 3 hours , 6x day. propranolol 180 mg 6x / day since 2012 clonazepam prescribed as 1 mg / day but beginning to take more to deal with withdrawals and sleeplessness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetime Posted May 15, 2022 Author Share Posted May 15, 2022 Thanks Ariel and Chrona, I would prefer not to use antihistamines. I will monitor over the next few weeks and see how I go. Thanks again 1 Prozac 2000 - 2018 Xanax Quetipine Mirtazipne 2018 Xanax 2mg per day - 10% per month - finished taper June 2020 Quetipine 100mg per day 10% per month - finished taper March 2021 Started to taper Mirtazipine 15mg per day 10% per month -started April 2021 Finished taper of 1.5mg approx( cutting with blade) on April 27th 2022. That is I jumped off at 1.5mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariel Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 @onetime Sounds like a wise choice. I'm no expert but I can share that for myself personally I have stopped using antihistamines. The last time I tried one I had a paradoxical reaction and that was enough to teach me a lesson. As long as I'm dealing with PAWS I'd rather err on the side of abstinence. I hope you find some relief from your uncomfortable symptoms soon. Kind wishes, A. 1996-2018 - misc. polypharmacy, incl. SSRIs, SNRIs, neuroleptics, lithium, benzos, stimulants, antihistamines, etc. (approx. 30+ drugs) 2012-2018 - 10mg lexapro/escitalopram (20mg?) Jan. 2018 - 10mg -> 5mg, then from 5mg -> 2.5mg, then 0mg --> July 2018 - 0mg 2017(?)-2020 - vyvanse/lisdexamfetamine 60-70mg 2020-2021 - 70mg down to 0mg --> July 2021 - 0mg March-April 2021 - vortioxetine 5-10mg (approx. 7 weeks total; CT) --> April 28th, 2021 - 0mg August 2021 - 2mg melatonin August 1, 2022 - 1mg melatonin March 31, 2023 - 0mg melatonin 2024 supplements update: electrolyte blend in water sipped throughout the day; 1 tsp fish oil blend w/ morning meal (incl. vit. A+D+E); calcium; vitamin C+zinc Courage is fear that has said its prayers. - Karle Wilson Baker love and justice are not two. without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters. - Rev. angel Kyodo williams Holding multiple truths. Knowing that everyone has their own accurate view of the way things are. - text on homemade banner at Afiya house I am not a medical professional; this is not medical advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetime Posted May 16, 2022 Author Share Posted May 16, 2022 Thank you Ariel. Did you have itchy skin during withdrawal? Prozac 2000 - 2018 Xanax Quetipine Mirtazipne 2018 Xanax 2mg per day - 10% per month - finished taper June 2020 Quetipine 100mg per day 10% per month - finished taper March 2021 Started to taper Mirtazipine 15mg per day 10% per month -started April 2021 Finished taper of 1.5mg approx( cutting with blade) on April 27th 2022. That is I jumped off at 1.5mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariel Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 @onetime 7 minutes ago, onetime said: Did you have itchy skin during withdrawal? probably! lol the list is so long i can't remember all the bizarre afflictions that have come and gone... but yeah, i think i had bouts of itchy skin. that's not why i took the antihistamine, though. i tried taking it for a) seasonal allergies; b) sleep. due to paradoxical reaction i stopped. i now manage allergies via diet (very effective, btw) and regarding sleep i pay attention to all the non-drug strategies and also take melatonin. what kind of itchy skin do you have? if you don't mind my asking. sometimes skin gets itchy when it's very dry. this might be dumb or obvious, but have you tried exfoliating thoroughly and moisturizing with an all-natural organic oil like pure almond oil? i have found that scrubbing + sauna + cold water plunge (repeated a few times) can really calm down a lot of weird nagging bodily discomforts, incl. itching, tingling, pinching (the gamut of surprising sensations withdrawal can gift us). don't know whether that could be relevant in your case, just sharing in case it's useful info. another thing that works well for itching is... distraction! in my experience it's one of those "the more you think about it, the more you feel it" kind of symptoms. good luck, onetime, wishing you peace and relief! <3 1996-2018 - misc. polypharmacy, incl. SSRIs, SNRIs, neuroleptics, lithium, benzos, stimulants, antihistamines, etc. (approx. 30+ drugs) 2012-2018 - 10mg lexapro/escitalopram (20mg?) Jan. 2018 - 10mg -> 5mg, then from 5mg -> 2.5mg, then 0mg --> July 2018 - 0mg 2017(?)-2020 - vyvanse/lisdexamfetamine 60-70mg 2020-2021 - 70mg down to 0mg --> July 2021 - 0mg March-April 2021 - vortioxetine 5-10mg (approx. 7 weeks total; CT) --> April 28th, 2021 - 0mg August 2021 - 2mg melatonin August 1, 2022 - 1mg melatonin March 31, 2023 - 0mg melatonin 2024 supplements update: electrolyte blend in water sipped throughout the day; 1 tsp fish oil blend w/ morning meal (incl. vit. A+D+E); calcium; vitamin C+zinc Courage is fear that has said its prayers. - Karle Wilson Baker love and justice are not two. without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters. - Rev. angel Kyodo williams Holding multiple truths. Knowing that everyone has their own accurate view of the way things are. - text on homemade banner at Afiya house I am not a medical professional; this is not medical advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetime Posted May 16, 2022 Author Share Posted May 16, 2022 I think you are spot on Ariel about the more I think about it.... This is what I do with every withdrawal symptom.The itching is a withdrawal symptom from coming off mirtazipin. Like yourself I have had so many but this last one is hard to manage. I am going to take on on all your suggestions and hopefully come good when the time is right. Thanks again. 1 Prozac 2000 - 2018 Xanax Quetipine Mirtazipne 2018 Xanax 2mg per day - 10% per month - finished taper June 2020 Quetipine 100mg per day 10% per month - finished taper March 2021 Started to taper Mirtazipine 15mg per day 10% per month -started April 2021 Finished taper of 1.5mg approx( cutting with blade) on April 27th 2022. That is I jumped off at 1.5mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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