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dangerous7: tapering amitriptyline after one week


dangerous7

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Hello friends,

I started on-demand Clomipramine & Tramadol for severe PE(premature ejaculation) about 6 years back. Worked very well for PE. As lockdown happened, gradually increased the dose and frequency. Stopped cold
turkey in mid-April 2022. Now have broken sleep and diagnosed with mild/moderate sleep apnea. I find myself waking up a lot from dreams and find myself not breathing. Sleep apnea AHI is 10 in a level-4 sleep study and AHI is 14 in a level-3 sleep study. Also now have anxiety about broken sleep and "getting back to normal fast". After going cold turkey off Clomipramine and Tramadol, I developed broken sleep (waking up from dreams not breathing) and gradually developed anxiety about "getting back to normal". Currently, I seem to be stuck in fight/flight mode and have most of the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue syndrome. While working on the computer, I frequently 'forget' to breathe and then suddenly realize that I need to breathe. I think the same thing is happening while sleeping. Started CPAP about 3 weeks back for sleep apnea. Seemed to have about 10%. Now that I think about it, the sleep issues started around the same time I started Clomipramine and Tramadol. However, I was functioning 'normally' by sleeping late and taking an afternoon nap.

 

Now, I have been taking Amytriptaline for 8 days for insomnia and anxiety

 

Day 1 & 2: 25mg
Day 3-7:   50mg
Day 8:     35mg (started tapering)

 

The psychiatrist wants me to increase Amytriptaline to 75mg and added Clonazepam but the neurologist asked me to stop Amytriptaline as I have sleep apnea. I want to get off all psychiatric medicines. Planning to manage my insomnia using Melatonin/on-demand Alprazolam/Zolpidem. 

 

How do I taper Amytriptaline down to 0? I have tablets of 25mg and 10mg size. 

 

Since I took Amytriptaline for a week, can I just stop cold-turkey?

 

Supplements (after dinner):
- Multivit/Multimineral
- Calcium carbonate 500mg
- Vit K2
- Magnesium 500mg
- Selenium 200mg
- Ashwagandha 
- N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)
- Vit C
- Zinc 25mg (added recently)
- vegan omega-3

 

Pulse stays high a lot even at rest. Blood pressure stays 130-140/90-95.

 

Doing Intermittent fasting/OMAD (one meal a day). Feel good after tea/coffee. Have 3 cups daily.

 

Age: 42

 

Thanks for reading.

 

PS: Will add more details shortly.
 

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to dangerous7: Tapering amitriptyline after one week
  • Moderator

Dear @dangerous7

welcome to SA.  It seems like you may be struggling with withdrawal symptoms from the clomipramine/tramadol. 

the only way to deal with that is to reinstate the drugs at a very low dosage ( 0.5 mg for example). However, you would be reinstating clomipramine and tramadol, rather than start a new drug. Since you have started amitriptyline only recently it would be ok to taper it faster than we usually recommend (we recommend no faster than 10% of your previous dosage every 4 weeks). 

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

 

When we are in withdrawal we become sensitized to psychoactive substances so adding amytriptiline at such a high dose may be making things worse. Can you help us understand what your symptoms are and when they started? Why does your doctor think that amytriptiline would cure your insomnia/anxiety - it is not FDA approved/licensed for either of those. 

 

Have you seen this thread?

Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

 

Because you have other health issues as well, it is hard to understand what exactly causes your symptoms. Could you post daily notes like this for a  few years so we get a better idea? 

Example: 

7 am wake up - anxious, restless, sweaty, nausea after 8 hrs of sleep 

8 am took citalopram 1mg 

9 am anxiety is worse 

10 am breakfast (eggs etc)

10-12 distracting myself walking the dog

12 lunch 

2 pm anxiety much better 

3 pm xanax 1mg 

4 pm work, foggy 

7 pm dinner 

10 pm sleep

 

Also, can you please add all the supplements in your signature as well?

We will try to figure things out and get you on your way to get better, 
OMW

 

 

 

Edited 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

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Hello Onmyway,

 

Thanks for your detailed reply. The links you have posted have a wealth of information. As I go through those, could someone tell me if this is a decent way to come off Amytriptaline?

 

Day 1 & 2: 25mg
Day 3-7:   50mg
Day 8:     35mg 
Day 9:     25mg 
Day 10:    skipped
Day 11:    10mg
Day 12:    planning to skip or take 5mg <-- plan for tonight

 

Thank you.

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus

  (Quoted post from Estman's topic)

 

4 hours ago, dangerous7 said:

Hello fellow Clomipramine users,

 

I don't have access to a compounding pharmacy here in Bangalore, India. Can you suggest a way to obtain .5mg Clomipramine. Here, I can buy 10mg tablets. Can I crush a tablet and take 1/20 of the powder? I do have a digital scale which can measure as low as .5gm

 

Or do I have make a liquid out of the tablet and use a syringe to obtain .5mg worth of Clomipramine?

 

Thank you.

 

Post #1 of this topic has information about making your own liquid:

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/19509-tips-for-tapering-off-clomipramine-anafranil/

 

* 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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Hi friends, I would like to reinstate .5mg Clomipramine. Today, I took 5mg Amytriptaline and plan to stop tomorrow. Do I need to give a gap of more than a day between these two? I understand both are TCAs. Thanks again. cc: @Onmyway

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Moderator

Hi @dangerous7

let me consult with the other moderators on what is the best course of action here. Can you please let us know what your current symptoms are and fill in the daily notes like I asked. We do not recommend skipping doses to taper off of a medicine. Your brain craves consistency. Please give it at least that. 

"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

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  • Moderator Emeritus

See:

NEVER SKIP DOSES TO TAPER

 

 

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

Link to comment

Yesterday, I had taken 2.5mg Zolpidem in the afternoon before taking a nap as an experiment. Was hoping to sleep 4 hours and wake up refreshed. Must have been in bed 90 minutes but probably only slept for 30 minutes. Woke up during a dream (happens to me a lot). Probably won't try again. But, the Zolpidem did boost my mood in the afternoon and I was very focused while working on the computer.

Yesterday, before dinner I forgot to have my usual supplements (magnesium/omega-3/NAC/...)

Had very broken sleep last night. Found myself waking up not breathing. Very difficult to fall back to sleep as attention kept going to breath. Probably, the worst night of the last two weeks. Amytriptaline seemed to have helped my sleep somewhat these last two weeks but not the silver bullet like I was hoping. I had seen a psychiatrist after one week on Amytriptaline. (He is the one who put me on Amytriptaline as a replacement for Clomipramine withdrawal. He said that the side effects of Amytriptaline are lesser than Clomipramine). He wanted to increase the dose to 75mg and also wanted to try Clonazepam for a week. Since I didn't want to be on Amytriptaline or Clonazepam or any psych drugs, I tapered thus:


Amytriptaline dosage (1 hour before bedtime)
-------------
Day 1-2: 25mg (first visit with psych)
Day 3-7: 50mg
Day 8:   35mg (second visit with psych)
Day 9:   25mg 
Day 10:  skipped
Day 11:  10mg
Day 12:  5mg 
Day 13:  Should I reinstate Amytriptaline or Clomipramine?

 

Current symptoms:
- broken sleep
- daytime sleepiness
- some anxiety about sleep/being able to keep my current job/being able to get a new job/
- lethargy (tea/coffee helps)
- difficulty concentrating
- low mood (especially low mood today maybe the Amytriptaline is gone from my system)
 

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Administrator

Hello, @dangerous7 I'm not sure what your goal is here. 

 

7 hours ago, dangerous7 said:

Amytriptaline seemed to have helped my sleep somewhat these last two weeks but not the silver bullet like I was hoping.

 

We would advise you to stop switching drugs and let your nervous system settle down. If you're looking for a silver bullet, we can't help you. We don't help people with drug switches to find a silver bullet. Please talk to a doctor, they make impossible promises like that.

 

Please let us know when you want to go off your drugs.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Hello @Altostrata, Thanks for your time reading my thread and your reply. My main goal is to get off Amitriptyline and Clomipramine in a safe way. When I quit Clomipramine cold turkey about a month back, I developed anxiety. After struggling with sleep/anxiety for 3 weeks, I met a psych who got me started on Amitriptyline saying that Clomipramine has more side effects.

 

Amytriptaline dosage (1 hour before bedtime)
-------------
Day 1-2: 25mg (first visit with psych)
Day 3-7: 50mg
Day 8:   35mg (second visit with psych)
Day 9:   25mg 
Day 10:  skipped
Day 11:  10mg
Day 12:  5mg 
Day 13:  TODO

 

Today, I have very bad anxiety, very low mood - one of the worst days of last month. Did I taper Amitriptyline in the wrong way? I am looking for guidance for my next step so that I be off all psych meds safely.

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Administrator

You went off the amitriptyline you started May 12 by doing this?

 

2 hours ago, dangerous7 said:

Day 1-2: 25mg (first visit with psych)
Day 3-7: 50mg
Day 8:   35mg (second visit with psych)
Day 9:   25mg 
Day 10:  skipped
Day 11:  10mg
Day 12:  5mg 
Day 13:  TODO

 

You took no amitriptyline on Day 10? That is not a sensible tapering schedule.

 

If I were you, I'd stop tapering, if that's what you want to call it, now. Stay at 5mg to let your system settle down. Still not understanding why you're going off the drug if helps you sleep.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Thank you for your reply, @Altostrata.

 

Still not understanding why you're going off the drug if helps you sleep.

I was following Onmyway's advice (post number 2 above) where they suggested to taper Amytriptyline and reinstate Clomipramine/Tramadol.

 

Stay at 5mg to let your system settle down.

Makes sense.

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Moderator
On 5/23/2022 at 4:45 PM, Onmyway said:

let me consult with the other moderators on what is the best course of action here. Can you please let us know what your current symptoms are and fill in the daily notes like I asked. We do not recommend skipping doses to taper off of a medicine. Your brain craves consistency. Please give it at least that. 

@dangerous7

I did not suggest to stop amitriptyline and replace it with the old drugs. I said that you would normally reinstate the old drugs at a much lower  dose rather than start a new drug to deal with withdrawal and to wait until we figure your situation because you had reinstated something else and seemed like you were having ADR to it and your neurologist had said it was exacerbating your other health condition. For the suspicion of ADR  I asked you to supply daily notes which you never did. 

 

You came here having already decided to stop amitriptyline and I said if you'd been on it for a short time you could go faster but your history is complicated. Please read the suggestions carefully and don't make rash decisions without giving us the whole picture. It will hurt you.

 

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

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  • Administrator

Good to see this has gotten clarified.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wanted to provide an update.

 

I ended up stopped Amytriptyline as mentioned above.

 

Psych #2 prescribed

1) Clomipramine 50mg daily
2) Escitalopram 5mg daily for a week and then 10mg daily after that

 

for 3 weeks to control the anxiety. I think he feels I am depressed or that Clomipramine will help me sleep.

 

I took 1 Clomipramine 50mg a few days after I met him to see how I feel. However, I was seeing a lot of "central apneas" - one as long as 55 seconds (not sure if I was awake/sleeping). And I felt very hot/sweaty causing me to toss and turn a lot. So, I didn't continue it after that. I haven't started the Escitalopram either.

 

For the last few days, I am having lot of anxiety and unstoppable thoughts in my mind while sleeping and during daytime too. On some nights, I am having difficulty initiating sleep and then maintaining it. Taking Clonazepam .5mg helps me sleep. I still wake up and as soon as I wake up, mind starts racing and thinking thoughts but I end up sleeping after 30 minutes if .

 

Should I try Escitalopram? How long should I try Clonazepam? I understand that one needs more and more Benzo as time goes on.
 

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Administrator

This site offers peer support for tapering off psychiatric drugs and withdrawal syndrome. Since you're seeing a psychiatrist and have accepted another drug cocktail, you will have to confer with your doctor about next steps.

 

Please let us know when you want to reduce or go off your drugs.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Today, we met psych #3. She prescribed:

 

- Clonazepam (for anxiety)

- Duloxetine - she said usually it starts having an effect in 4-6 weeks and is usually given for 7-9 months.

 

I seem to be getting started on a cocktail.

 

Yesterday, I made a liquid solution of Clomipramine and took 1mg.

 

My wife and family is asking me to get started on what the psych prescribes. I read the hellish ride mentioned by jonah2001 at 

 and am scared to start it.

 

How do I control my anxiety enough to get sleep and be mentally present with my family? In the back of my mind, I am always thinking that I have to rush back to my computer and research ways to fix my sleep/anxiety. I have taken a 2-month break from work but my unpaid leave is ending in 2 weeks. Will post more soon.

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Administrator

If you ask a psychiatrist to help you, you will inevitably emerge with a drug solution. We do not diagnose or prescribe and cannot advise you on the best drug cocktail to solve your problems. If this is what you choose to do, please confer with your doctors.

 

Please let us know when you want to go off drugs.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • Moderator
19 hours ago, dangerous7 said:

Today, we met psych #3. She prescribed:

 

- Clonazepam (for anxiety)

- Duloxetine - she said usually it starts having an effect in 4-6 weeks and is usually given for 7-9 months.

 

I seem to be getting started on a cocktail.

The fact that three different people have give you three different cocktails should let you know that they don't really have a clue of how these drugs work or how to help you. It's like trying to restore a masterpiece by throwing bright colored paint onto it.

 

You may take them only for 7-9 mo but it may take you years to come off of them. Possibly with serious withdrawal symptoms.

 

Given that your system is sensitized these new drugs can make things worse.

 

It's important to recognize that you're not "getting started on a cocktail" you're choosing to start a cocktail. You need to take responsibility for your actions and the consequences of those actions. This is your brain, your body, your life and can end up ultimately as your suffering. 

 

These doctors are not going to be dealing with your rebound insomnia and anxiety and tbh neither are we no matter how much we may sympathize with you.

"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

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I took Cymbalta 40mg for two days but I have bad insomnia, increased sweating, upper body feeling hot(almost like prickly heat) which made me toss and turn during sleeping making the sleep worse.

 

The first day I took Cymbalta was 20mg in morning and night. Also took Clonazepam .375mg at night. Woke up at 2:30am, then 3:30am, then awake till morning when I took Clonazepam .125mg and slept for 45 minutes.

 

Also been taking Clonazepam .25/.5mg at night either before sleeping or if I wake up at night. For last few days, also take Clonazepam .125mg in morning and afternoon.

 

When I was on Clomipramine (stopped about two months back), I had the same increased sweating & upper body feeling hot(almost like prickly heat) which made me toss and turn during sleeping making the sleep worse.

 

My family is saying to continue Cymbalta hoping that the side effects will go away. Psych #3 has prescribed Cymbalta 20mg x 2 for 4 days and then increasing to 30mg x 2 for another week or so.

 

My main symptoms are continuous background thoughts about my health/anxiety/sleep/future/

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Moderator

Hi @dangerous7

We predicted those reactions and they are expected as your system is sensitized. I hope whatever choice you made works out for you. We can't really support you here in experimenting with new drugs - our mission is to help people come off of their drugs will the least possible withdrawal effects if and when they decide to come off of them. Since you're not in that group, we can't help you. You are welcome to come back if/when you decide to come off of your drugs. It's not that we don't sympathize with your difficulty but you don't follow our advice and as a result we don't have anything to offer here. The information we collect and curate here is about withdrawal effects.

 

You are welcome to keep posting but we won't engage with further advice.

 

You may look at other forums like patientslikeme or specialized in anxiety/depression for further support.

 

OMW

Edited 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

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14 hours ago, dangerous7 said:

I took Cymbalta 40mg for two days but I have bad insomnia, increased sweating, upper body feeling hot(almost like prickly heat) which made me toss and turn during sleeping making the sleep worse.

....

When I was on Clomipramine (stopped about two months back), I had the same increased sweating & upper body feeling hot(almost like prickly heat) which made me toss and turn during sleeping making the sleep worse.

 

These reactions indicate the dosages of clomipramine and Cymbalta were both too high for you. It is absurd that your doctors prescribed benzodiazepines to counter adverse effects of the antidepressants. The longer you take benzodiazepines, the more likely you will get physiologically dependent on them and have difficulty going off.

 

As this is a site for going off drugs, what is it that we can help you with?

 

We're not going to debate with your doctors and family. You will need to make your own decisions about whether you want psychiatric drug treatment.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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After two days of 40mg Cymbalta, I have stopped it. I got ok from another internet forum dedicated to cymbalta withdrawal- they said that two days of Cymbalta wouldn't have changed the brain structure. So, stopping cold turkey is ok. Hoping the insomnia would go away soon. Yesterday, I didn't take Cymbalta but still woke up at 2:30am after sleeping around 12midnight. At around 11am, I finally took Clonazepam .125mg and slept for an hour but I could feel the dose was low as the thoughts wouldn't die down fully. The prickly heat feeling in the upper body/upper back seems less too.

 

Benzodiazepines were suggested as a temporary measure to calm down anxiety since I have difficulty resuming sleep after waking up at night. 

 

My main issue is difficulty falling back to sleep if I wake up at night - random thoughts keep running in my head about my health/future/when I would be normal again/will I get addicted to Clonazepam/did I make the right decision stopping Cymbalta/waking up on time to drop my kids to school. I know I am supposed to go to a different room/read a book/do chores but just can't 'push' myself to do it. Instead, I just lie down hoping to fall back to sleep. Any tips would be helpful?

 

How do I taper off Clonazepam? 

 

Thanks for reading.

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Administrator

You may still be suffering protracted withdrawal syndrome from your cold-turkey of 2 drugs in April. Disrupted sleep is a common withdrawal symptom. 

 

If you take clonazepam daily, you likely will become adapted to it. Physiological benzo dependency can cause a host of problems. How often are you taking clonazepam?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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10 hours ago, Altostrata said:

You may still be suffering protracted withdrawal syndrome from your cold-turkey of 2 drugs in April. Disrupted sleep is a common withdrawal symptom. 

 

If you take clonazepam daily, you likely will become adapted to it. Physiological benzo dependency can cause a host of problems. How often are you taking clonazepam?

ok @Altostrata. I have started taking Clonazepam for about a week now. I am taking about .25mg or .375mg clonazepam either before sleeping or when I wake up. Sometimes, I take .125mg in the morning if I feel very sleepy but can't go back to sleep. Sometimes, I take .125mg it before my afternoon nap. When I take it in the morning/afternoon, it makes my thoughts die down very fast usually within 15 minutes and lets me fall asleep.

 

Do you have any tips to prevent dependency on it? I have heard that Hydroxyzine can help with anxiety too. Should I alternate them?

 

Thanks.

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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I have updated my drug history under my Profile -> About Me. However, the new Signature is not being updated in my posts above. It still shows my drug history from a month back. Please help me update my Signature correctly.

SA new signature.png

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Administrator

About Me and your signature are two different things.

 

Please keep daily notes of times o’clock you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. We need to know how you feel before and after taking each drug, and your symptoms in between. Post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, in a simple list format with time o’clock on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right. This can show if your symptoms are adverse effects from one of your drugs.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • Moderator Emeritus
5 hours ago, dangerous7 said:

Please help me update my Signature correctly.

 

This link goes straight to your drug signature.  Remember to click Save once you have edited it.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

* 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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I had taken Clonazepan for about a week to 10 days (max .5mg daily); it's been 2-3 days since I stopped it. My main symptoms are broken sleep, racing thoughts while trying to sleep, anxiety, no excitement/energy to do anything 'new' or anything that takes effort. Should I have tapered Clonazepan? When I was on it, it did help slow down the racing thoughts in my mind while trying to sleep. I put 25mg tablet in 25ml water but it isn't fully dissolved. See attached pic. I guess I could shake the bottle and quickly syringe out the desired ml before the small particles settle down.

IMG_8681.JPG

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Administrator

If your sleep got worse after quitting clonazepam, you got rebound insomnia, a withdrawal symptom, from going off. You can become adapted to daily clonazepam in a very short amount of time.

 

If you keep on going on and off drugs, you can expect this to continue.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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My insomnia is the same as it was before starting Clonazepam. I don't think it is worse than before.

 

6 hours ago, Altostrata said:

If your sleep got worse after quitting clonazepam, you got rebound insomnia, a withdrawal symptom, from going off. You can become adapted to daily clonazepam in a very short amount of time.

 

If you keep on going on and off drugs, you can expect this to continue.

 

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • 2 months later...

MOD NOTE:  Nexito = escitalopram (info from pillintrip.com)

 

Hello everyone,

 

I am back here after making a lot of rash decisions. I could not convince my family and eventually myself that I was capable of making right decisions for myself and just agreed to eat whatever the psychiatrist prescribed to me, all the time hoping that this will fix me.

 

Last I posted here was 2 months back, since then I have not gotten better(as some of you had already predicted due to lot of experience with hasty souls like mine)

 

Roughly around 8th June 2022, I started Clonazepam, between 0.125 mg to 0.375 mg.

After about 10 days of eating it everyday, I stopped taking it(with the hope that I ate for a very short time and hence it might be possible to stop it completely). 

My sleep became much worse without the Clonazepam.  I rejoined work in June end(after a 2 month unpaid leave)

During that month, I was quite anxious but still more positive than I am today. I had joined a yoga class in my neighborhood and did exercise + meditation there. As a result of lot of twisting during the yoga class or one ill-timed gym session where I lifted weights, I had a disk herniation(my third one) in July beginning. That made my life hell, I have had two successful surgeries in the past and life was back to normal each time but this time I only thought of worst scenarios like negative outcomes of surgery(paralysis etc). Met ortho and neuro regularly and started muscle relaxants and gabapentin(I felt that depression was going up with this medicine so even though I was told to take it for more than a month, I stopped taking it after a week or so). I was also prescribed minimum dose of amitryptiline but I did not take it. 

 

I restarted Clonazepam around that time as a sleeping aid since the anxiety just wouldn’t let me rest at all(0.25 mg I think since I had no ability to record anything at that time, I was just battling severe anxiety about my back problem, numbness in legs etc, same symptoms that did not worry me 3 years back before my second surgery or 11 years back before my first surgery but now made me full of despair and zero hope).

 

So I was on Clonazepam without taking any anti-depressants along with it for about 10 days and then I started Nexito/escitalopram (5mg) (CC - from pillintrip.com). It caused me same hot/burning skin symptom(same as what I used to feel with Clomipramine+Tramadol earlier). The psychiatrist asked me to stop for 4 days and then try Nexito 2.5 mg. It caused the same burning, prickly sensation, just reduced. By third week of July, I started feeling very depressed and also had memory issues, was unable to focus on anything, brain didn’t feel that sharp. I was continuing with 0.25 mg Clonazepam whenever I woke up in the night(2:30am - 4:30am). Due to my back issues and limited motion, clonazepam became an everyday need since I didn’t get physically tired during the day, only the mental fatigue due to constantly thinking of same things, “how would I continue with this job since I could see my memory and cognition depleting daily”, “who will take care of the kids if I lose my mind totally”

 

When I saw the psychiatrist next(to report burning with Nexito 5 mg), he added Oleanzipine(0.625 mg at night along with Clonazepam 0.25mg) which helped me sleep better. He told me to stop it after 20 days. I took for 10 days and then stopped since I kept on feeling that my cognitive skills and memory were going down day by day(I couldn’t figure out which of the drugs was causing it). He told me to start a new drug Desvenlafaxine(after ditching Nexito since that caused the burning sensation). I didn’t have the guts to start another new drug so I chugged along with Nexito(2.5 mg for a few days and then 5 mg).

 

By July end, I started feeling tremors in my right hand. Also, pain in back of my neck and upper back while moving neck and changing position during sleep. I also had heart palpitations on and off, made me want to lie down a lot of times( I wfh on computer, so it was possible). However, efficiency at work kept on going down day by day. On some days, my anxiety was so high that I had to take clonazepam 0.25mg followed by 0.125 mg within a few hours.  None of the doctors I met ever agreed that I could have protracted withdrawal symptoms from the clonazepam/tramadol combination that I took for years. It made me believe that I am overthinking and my anxiety has corrupted my brain and I had to trust the psychiatrist. 

 

I upped Nexito  to 5 mg(day time 11am) on 1st August(still hopeful that my anxiety and depression has gone up on its own due to my overthinking) and eventually I will get used to the side effects(At this time, I was still taking Olanzipine 0.625 mg, melatonin 6 mg at bedtime and Clonazepam 0.25 mg upon wake up from first round of sleep, around 2:30 - 4:30 am). Melatonin was suggested by the psychiatrist to reduce dependence on Clonazepam. Also got one testosterone Injection with the hope that it would reduce the fatigue marginally at least. 

I kept on trying to ignore the following:

- cognitive decline

- touching eyebrows multiple times in the day, feeling quite restless, not able to sit in one place

- kids getting frustrated since I was never with them while they were talking to me, couldn’t laugh at their jokes anymore

- no motivation to do office work/personal tasks, didn’t feel like getting up from the bed, had to be forced by my wife to take bath, or go for walks

 

After 7 days of 5 mg Nexito , I upped the Nexito dose to 10 mg(along with melatonin 6mg and Clonazepam 0.25 mg) and stopped Oleanz(0.625 mg)

No improvement in mental decline, I was singing “Happy birthday” for my sibling and forgot his name while singing and had a second of panic before I remembered. 

I wanted to quit my job since my efficiency was almost 0 but had no confidence in myself that I would be able to get another one.

Hearing felt reduced on third day of nexito 10 mg (which eventually got better). 

Was overwhelmed every time I opened my office laptop. Couldn’t see myself being able to complete any projects assigned to me. I am a programmer.

 

Met the psychiatrist on fourth day of next 10 mg, he thought the dose of Nexito was not enough to cure me of the disease so upped the dose to 15 mg followed by 20 mg which I didn’t do. I had some sporadic pain in left testes and also some numbness in tip of penis once in a while. On 6th and 7th day of Nexito 10 mg, I felt sporadic involuntary shaking in my body. There is an impulse to shake my feet/glute muscle when lying down to sleep. Penis tip felt cold. All these physical symptoms accompanied crippling anxiety and feeling of having no aim in life. I took sick leave from work. The psychiatrist, after seeing my leg tremor video, told me to reduce the dose to 5 mg and just stay on it. . By 9th day of Nexito 10 mg , I couldn’t take it anymore(the fear of losing it completely, twitching, tremors, not able to converse with anyone for more than a few minutes). I started the taper to 8.75 mg on 15th August(9 days back). I kept on trying to write my long history along with dates, drug dosages, on this group to take help(since I knew I was doing everything wrong till now) but couldn’t sit long enough to type so much. I took 8.75 mg Nexito one more day and on third day, started taking 5 mg nexito( I know it is a very abrupt taper, I just didn’t have the patience and the tremors and losing my short-term memory made it unbearable to continue with Nexito). I have been on 5 mg for 6 days now. Don’t have the guts to take any more decisions. My wife feels sorry about why she was not on board with me about not taking any more anti-depressants(in June) .She has been spending hours on this forum recently reading about other people’s experiences while being on anti-depressants and benzos and trying to help me. 

 

Current symptoms:

- Still have random muscle twitching

- I have completely stopped working (I am a programmer).

- Suicide thoughts many times a day.

- Difficulty organizing thoughts and verbalizing them. Difficulty planning.

- Crippling anxiety 24/7. The thought of doing anything is giving me anxiety.

- Depression/ Anhedonia.

- Crying sometimes as I see my life falling apart.

- Not much to talk about at the dining table.

- Need to apply a lot of energy in understanding kids’ stories of school when they are back.

- Feel like a vegetable.

 

I had to take my wife’s help in writing all this, I can barely keep my focus for a few minutes, let alone what was required to write all this.

 

I need your help to set my life straight(eventually taper both Nexito and Clonazepam). Needless to say, I am scared and very low on hope. But reading recovery stories here makes want to have hope.

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added Nexito drug info

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

Link to comment
  • ChessieCat changed the title to dangerous7: tapering amitriptyline after one week
  • Moderator Emeritus

Q:  What drugs are you currently taking, what doses and at what times?

 

Include any pain killers and supplements.

* 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

Link to comment
39 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

Q:  What drugs are you currently taking, what doses and at what times?

 

Include any pain killers and supplements.

Thanks for responding 🙂

---

10 am Omega-3 supplement(sometimes)

11 am Nexito(5 mg)

 

9 pm Magnesium (400 or 600 mg alternate days)

         Melatonin(6 mg)

         Gaba(500 mg or 1000 mg sometimes)

         Calcium(500 mg sometimes)

         Levocetrizine(5 mg) and Montelukast(10 mg) for asthma

         B-complex tablet(sometimes)

         

Currently on Augmentin(625 mg) for past 2 days(due to cold which lasted for a long time)

         

Between 3-5am Clonazepam(0.25 mg) 

to finish my sleep, I get 2-3 hours without it 

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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I am not tapering clonazepam yet, due to the posts I read about suggestions to taper the activating drug. Hope I am doing the right thing since I keep on thinking my cognitive decline and memory issues(which feel so rapid) are due to almost 2 months of benzo,  i have kept clonazepam at this dose(0.25 mg) for the past one month(except one or two days when i was forcing myself to work,  I took 0.125 mg in day time to somehow manage conversations with team members)

Edited by dangerous7
needed to update daily clonazepam dose

2014-2019: Clomipramine 12.5mg to 50mg and Tramadol 100mg twice a week, 2019-2020: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg alternate day
2021-2022: Clomipramine 50mg and Tramadol 150mg-200mg daily, 2022 mid-April: Stopped Clomipramine and Tramadol cold turkey
2022 mid-May: Started Amytriptaline 50mg and tapered over 2 weeks, 2022 mid-June: Took 40mg Cymbalta for 2 days and stopped
2022 mid-June: Taking Clonazepam .25mg to .5mg for sleep and anxiety for about a week., 2022 early July - present: Taking Clonazepam .25mg.
2022 Aug: Escitalopram 2.5mg titrated to 10mg (over 3 weeks), 2022 Aug: Escitalopram 5mg for 10 days, 4.5mg for 10 days, 4.25mg for 5 days
2022 Sep: Escitalopram 4.25mg for 5 days, 4mg for 5 days and then CT, 2022 Sep: Fluoxetine 10mg for 5 days
Sep 2022: Fluoxetine 20mg for 9 days. | Oct 2022:  Fluoxetine 30mg for 20 days. | Oct 2022: Fluoxetine 40mg for 46 days
Nov to Dec 2022: Clonazepam(0.25mg morning, 0.5mg afternoon and 0.5mg night; TOTAL of 1.25mg) for 36 days
Dec 2022: Clonazepam 'tapered' over a  week. Replaced with Etizolam. Etizolam(0.5mg) for some days and then Etizolam(1.5mg CR and 0.5mg), Quetiapine(12.5mg) and Mirtazapine(7.5mg). Vortioxetine(10mg) for 6 days, Vortioxetine(20mg) for 22 days.
Jan/Feb 2023: Admitted to psych ward for a month for excessive anxiety and suicidal ideation. Stopped Vortioxetine, Mirtazapine & Quetapine CT and started Venlafaxine 37.5mg, Olanzipine 2.5mg for weeks and then increased to 5mg and Etizolam 2mg. After 3 week, Venlafaxine CTed (due to random body jerks) and replaced with Clomipramine 25mg (due to new diagnosis of OCD). | Mar-mid 2023: Clomipramine gradually increased to 50mg & Etizolam slowly tapered to .75mg
Early-mid 2023: Taper of all three started. Currently at Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .75mg | 
Sep 2023: Clomipramine ~42.5mg, Olanzapine ~3.382mg, Etizolam .625mg, Valium 1.25mg

Feb 2024: Currently at Clomipramine 30.667mg, Olanzapine ~2.055mg, Etizolam .388mg, Valium 1.773mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus
14 minutes ago, dangerous7 said:

B-complex tablet(sometimes)

 

Some members find B vitamins activating.  You might find it better to take it in the morning which might help with your sleep.

 

I have asked the other staff for their assistance.  The site is very busy at this time with a lot of new members, so I don't know how long it will take for someone to respond.

* 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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