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Music for self-care: calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep


Altostrata

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I was recently in a study that included playing relaxing music while taking one's blood pressure. The music they played almost put me to sleep in the middle of the day.

 

It was called Namaste.

 

I've found soft music helps me sleep. I'm going to order it myself.

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

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I love Namaste. They have a particular song "Jaya Shiva Shankara" that I love. I play music quietly in the background all the time. Mostly New Age music as it's very calming. I also love Deva Primal.

 

I read a good book once called The Secret Power of Music. I totally believe in the healing effects of music, for spirit and body.

 

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This study of the hidden side of music and its subtle effects is one of the most detailed books ever written on the subject.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

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Very enjoyable, thanks, Shanti.

 

I believe the music they used was a different Namaste, on Amazon as Namaste Yoga Song - Relaxing Music for Yoga Exercises at Home from Kundalini Yoga Music (Winter Hill).

 

Can't have too much namaste!

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

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lol. I wondered if it was the same one. I do have the Yoga one. A song I love on there is Shadowfax's "Angel's Flight." Very beautiful! Is this the one you were referring to?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC16Mttvr68

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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Kitaro is another great artist I love. Very peaceful.

 

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

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Kitaro is another great artist I love. Very peaceful.

 

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gXZPaIl6us

 

 

I had to turn this off... the tears...had to stop.

 

However, thank you for this thread. I will listen again.

 

 

Charter Member 2011

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I had to turn this off... the tears...had to stop.

 

However, thank you for this thread. I will listen again.

 

Aww. Well that's no good for raising the spirits. Maybe this song is too dreary.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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I had to turn this off... the tears...had to stop.

 

However, thank you for this thread. I will listen again.

 

Aww. Well that's no good for raising the spirits. Maybe this song is too dreary.

 

Not dreary at all... beautiful! Just my mood today.

 

 

Charter Member 2011

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lol. I wondered if it was the same one. I do have the Yoga one. A song I love on there is Shadowfax's "Angel's Flight." Very beautiful! Is this the one you were referring to?

 

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC16Mttvr68

 

Shanti, that is beautiful! I like these Windham Hill recordings.

 

I have a Kitaro album, agree it's very peaceful.

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 months later...

Hi everyone,

 

After trying to listen to classical music, folk music, etc. to try to calm down when I'm feeling very anxious, I have found that I have a really good response to entirely repetitive music like electronic lounge music. There is something hypnotic about it. I'm sure everyone is different, but I thought I'd mention it. I was heading towards panic after being offerred a new job today, and started listening to Nicolas Jaar and it somehow soothed me to the point I can keep working today.

 

When I'm not doing well I'm not able to listen to almost any music, even if it's calm, because it gets stuck in my head and haunts me the next day. But for some reason this seems neutral enough to be OK.

 

Last year I was also listening to music that's supposed to create calming theta waves... you can find some on YouTube, but I had mixed results.

'94-'08 On/off ADs. Mostly Zoloft & Wellbutrin, but also Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, etc.
6/08 quit Z & W after tapering, awful anxiety 3 mos. later, reinstated.
11/10 CTed. Severe anxiety 3 mos. later & @ 8 mos. much worse (set off by metronidazole). Anxiety, depression, anhedonia, DP, DR, dizziness, severe insomnia, high serum AM cortisol, flu-like feelings, muscle discomfort.
9/11-9/12 Waves and windows of recovery.
10/12 Awful relapse, DP/DR. Hydrocortisone?
11/12 Improved fairly quickly even though relapse was one of worst waves ever.

1/13 Best I've ever felt.

3/13 A bit of a relapse... then faster and shorter waves and windows.

4/14 Have to watch out for triggers, but feel completely normal about 80% of the time.

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Here's another one: "One Day" by Wankelmut.

'94-'08 On/off ADs. Mostly Zoloft & Wellbutrin, but also Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, etc.
6/08 quit Z & W after tapering, awful anxiety 3 mos. later, reinstated.
11/10 CTed. Severe anxiety 3 mos. later & @ 8 mos. much worse (set off by metronidazole). Anxiety, depression, anhedonia, DP, DR, dizziness, severe insomnia, high serum AM cortisol, flu-like feelings, muscle discomfort.
9/11-9/12 Waves and windows of recovery.
10/12 Awful relapse, DP/DR. Hydrocortisone?
11/12 Improved fairly quickly even though relapse was one of worst waves ever.

1/13 Best I've ever felt.

3/13 A bit of a relapse... then faster and shorter waves and windows.

4/14 Have to watch out for triggers, but feel completely normal about 80% of the time.

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Nadia so glad you found your calming music. You are working and offered another job?

 

Great news. It's makes 99% of the population nervous, so you are part if the crowd ;)

 

What works for me is Guided Meditation. I can't really seem to Meditate unless it is guided.

 

Years ago I would power walk and on the way would have a mind emptying experience and on the way back home, repeat positive affirmations. Pulled me out of alot of funks.

 

Guess What...........I need to do this again.

 

Can you walk and listen to your music????

 

Hugs

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

Paxil 1997-2004

Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

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I work freelance, so I get new job offers all the time... I have been steadily saying no to make time to heal, and had not had a new offer since before I went on vacation (at least not one I was tempted to take). Huge source of anxiety for me.

 

In any case, re. the music... I think I overdid it. In the morning I had rote music going over and over in my head in a really disturbing way.. I need to be careful with sensory overload!

 

But I still think it was worth it because it helped me get through the moment last night.

'94-'08 On/off ADs. Mostly Zoloft & Wellbutrin, but also Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, etc.
6/08 quit Z & W after tapering, awful anxiety 3 mos. later, reinstated.
11/10 CTed. Severe anxiety 3 mos. later & @ 8 mos. much worse (set off by metronidazole). Anxiety, depression, anhedonia, DP, DR, dizziness, severe insomnia, high serum AM cortisol, flu-like feelings, muscle discomfort.
9/11-9/12 Waves and windows of recovery.
10/12 Awful relapse, DP/DR. Hydrocortisone?
11/12 Improved fairly quickly even though relapse was one of worst waves ever.

1/13 Best I've ever felt.

3/13 A bit of a relapse... then faster and shorter waves and windows.

4/14 Have to watch out for triggers, but feel completely normal about 80% of the time.

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  • 1 year later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

I have found music to be very soothing at times.  Sometimes New Age instrumental music, meditative music, certain artists like Enya, can be very relaxing for me.  I'm guessing that's why such music is often played during yoga or massage.  Listening to classical music when I'm writing has the effect of, not only relaxing me, but helping me to focus.

 

I thought I would post some information about music as a potential self-care tool...

 

Effects of Relaxing Music on Salivary Cortisol After Psychological Stress

Khalfa, S., Dalla A Bella, S., Roy, M., Peretz, I, & Lupien, S. (2003). Effects of relaxing music on salivary cortisol after psychological stress.  Annals New York Academy of Sciences, 999, 374-376.

The psychological stressor [used in this study] provoked a strong emotion that was revealed by a sharp increase in cortisol levels within 15 minutes. The concentration of cortisol decreased more rapidly in the saliva of the subjects exposed to music than in the group recovering from stress in silence, suggesting that relaxing music after a stressor can act by decreasing the poststress response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.  This result replicates previous findings (Kirschbaum & Hellhammer, 1993; 1994), indicating that relaxing music is more effective than silence in decreasing cortisol levels after stress induction.

 

Music Improves dopaminergic Neurotransmission: Demonstration Based on the Effect of Music on Blood Pressure Regulation

Sutoo, D., & Akiyama, K. (2004). Music improves dopaminergic neurotransmission: demonstration based on the effect of music on blood pressure regulation. Braine Research, 1016, 255-262.

In this study, systolic blood pressure in [rats] was significantly reduced along with decreased behavioral activity

during and after exposure to Mozart’s music.”

The mechanism by which music modifies brain function is not clear. Clinical findings indicate that music reduces blood pressure in various patients. We investigated the effect of music on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Previous studies indicated that calcium increases brain dopamine (DA) synthesis through a calmodulin (CaM)-dependent system. Increased DA levels reduce blood pressure in SHR. In this study, we examined the effects of music on this pathway. Systolic blood pressure in SHR was reduced by exposure to Mozart’s music (K.205), and the effect vanished when this pathway was inhibited. Exposure to music also significantly increased serum calcium levels and neostriatal DA levels. These results suggest that music leads to increased calcium/CaM-dependent DA synthesis in the brain, thus causing a reduction in blood pressure. Music might regulate and/or affect various brain functions through dopaminergic neurotransmission, and might therefore be effective for rectification of symptoms in various diseases that involve DA dysfunction.

 

Effects of Music on Anxiety of Women Awaiting Breast Cancer Biopsy

Haun, M., & Mainous, R. (2001). Effects of music on anxiety of women awaiting breast cancer biopsy. Behavioral Medicine, 127-132.

Abstract

The authors investigated the effect of music on the state anxiety of a sample of 20 patients awaiting breast biopsy at a suburban medical facility. The patients were assigned alternately to either the control or experimental group. The individuals in the experimental group were given a 20-minute music-based intervention in a preoperative holding area, whereas the patients in the control group received the customary preoperative care. Clinicians measured blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration in both groups of patients, and the participants completed the State portion of the self-administered State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). After the patients completed the 20 minutes of music or of preoperative care without music, clinicians again measured the participants' vital signs and the patients completed the STAI. The authors' findings indicated that the posttest state anxiety and respiratory rates of the patients in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the patients in the control group.

 

 

1988-2012: Prozac @ 60mg (with a few stops and starts)

Fall 2012: Returned to 40mg after discontinuing and horrid withdrawal 

Fall 2013: 40mg Fluoxetine, added 150mg Wellbutrin to treat fatigue 

Winter 2014: Attempting to taper both (too fast)

April 2014: 9mg Fluoxetine + 37.5 Wellbutrin 

Summer 2014: 8 mg Fluoxetine + 0 Wellbutrin (way too fast a drop)

Late summer/Early Fall 2014: Debilitating Withdrawal symptoms 

Fall 2014 - Wellbutrin successfully kicked to the curb but…

Oct- Dec 2014: Panicked reinstatement of Fluoxetine ->30mg - held for 5yrs

Jan 2021: taper to 20mg Fluoxetine  then tapering by 1mg every 2-3 months

Fall 2022 - held at 10mg->December 2022: 9mg->Feb 2023: 8mg ->March 2023: brassmonkey slide begins: 7.8mg -> 7.6 -> 7.4->2 week hold (April)->7.2->7mg->6.8->2 week hold->6.6-> 1-month hold ->(June)-6.5->4-week hold-> (July)-6.4 (discontinued brassmonkey slide and slowed taper)-> (Aug)-6.2->(Sept)-6.0->(Oct)-5.9->(Nov)-5.8->(Dec)-5.7->wave!->(Jan)-5.8->(Feb)-6mg and holding.

 

My 2014 withdrawal experience: https://rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Thanks for the post, Addax.  I think this would be helpful for lots of people.  For myself, I've always had super-acute hearing and music of any kind would have driven me up the wall in withdrawal.  Even now, I keep my house mostly quiet except for the occasional NPR broadcast or TV show.  But to each his own.  Most people seem to find music soothing.

Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's Razor


Introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/

 

Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/

Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers.

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I can see how music might be difficult for some during withdrawal, particularly when hypersensitivity to sound is an issue. The background sound of talk radio, like NPR (love NPR!) or TV can be can be comforting as well.

 

Myself, like most people I think, tend to gravitate toward music that mirrors or matches how I'm feeling. Feeling blue/sad my music choice may reflect that, and music that seems contrary to how I'm feeling feels uncomfortable in a way. As if it creates a cognitive dissonance. While the dissonance can be annoying, I was thinking that given music's ability to elicit emotion on some level, perhaps listening to upbeat (aka "happy" songs) when feeling sad might be beneficial. It doesn't seem entirely different from the idea of listening to massage/meditation music when I'm feeling anxious. Getting past the initial discomfort of the inconsistency between the present feeling and the music might be a bit of a challenge, as would pushing past the thought of, "I really don't want to listen to that right now."

 

I think of it as that sound of a needle being taken abruptly off of a record (kinda dating myself with that one, eh?):

 

Feeling depressed, having depressed thoughts... (((Screechy sound!)))... New song/different feeling.

1988-2012: Prozac @ 60mg (with a few stops and starts)

Fall 2012: Returned to 40mg after discontinuing and horrid withdrawal 

Fall 2013: 40mg Fluoxetine, added 150mg Wellbutrin to treat fatigue 

Winter 2014: Attempting to taper both (too fast)

April 2014: 9mg Fluoxetine + 37.5 Wellbutrin 

Summer 2014: 8 mg Fluoxetine + 0 Wellbutrin (way too fast a drop)

Late summer/Early Fall 2014: Debilitating Withdrawal symptoms 

Fall 2014 - Wellbutrin successfully kicked to the curb but…

Oct- Dec 2014: Panicked reinstatement of Fluoxetine ->30mg - held for 5yrs

Jan 2021: taper to 20mg Fluoxetine  then tapering by 1mg every 2-3 months

Fall 2022 - held at 10mg->December 2022: 9mg->Feb 2023: 8mg ->March 2023: brassmonkey slide begins: 7.8mg -> 7.6 -> 7.4->2 week hold (April)->7.2->7mg->6.8->2 week hold->6.6-> 1-month hold ->(June)-6.5->4-week hold-> (July)-6.4 (discontinued brassmonkey slide and slowed taper)-> (Aug)-6.2->(Sept)-6.0->(Oct)-5.9->(Nov)-5.8->(Dec)-5.7->wave!->(Jan)-5.8->(Feb)-6mg and holding.

 

My 2014 withdrawal experience: https://rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/

 

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  • 4 years later...
  • Administrator

See an account of soft music calming hypervigilance to improve sleep here

 

 

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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  • Altostrata changed the title to Music for self-care: Calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep
On 5/29/2014 at 6:23 AM, Addax said:

I can see how music might be difficult for some during withdrawal, particularly when hypersensitivity to sound is an issue. The background sound of talk radio, like NPR (love NPR!) or TV can be can be comforting as well.

 

Myself, like most people I think, tend to gravitate toward music that mirrors or matches how I'm feeling. Feeling blue/sad my music choice may reflect that, and music that seems contrary to how I'm feeling feels uncomfortable in a way. As if it creates a cognitive dissonance. While the dissonance can be annoying, I was thinking that given music's ability to elicit emotion on some level, perhaps listening to upbeat (aka "happy" songs) when feeling sad might be beneficial. It doesn't seem entirely different from the idea of listening to massage/meditation music when I'm feeling anxious. Getting past the initial discomfort of the inconsistency between the present feeling and the music might be a bit of a challenge, as would pushing past the thought of, "I really don't want to listen to that right now."

 

I think of it as that sound of a needle being taken abruptly off of a record (kinda dating myself with that one, eh?):

 

Feeling depressed, having depressed thoughts... (((Screechy sound!)))... New song/different feeling.

Hey that is a good way of putting it. Maybe I listen to the music that reflects what I feel inside. Now I can listen to music with a new perspective and maybe learn something about myself that way!

My medications were short-timed and low-dosed, but still affected my life a lot; all this is in 2017.

June 21 - June 28 (inpatient) - 300 mg lithium

June 6 -  July 14 (inpatient then outpatient) - 10 mg zyprexa

July 14 - July 17 (outpatient try taper) - 7.5 mg zyprexa

July 18 - July 21 (outpatient doctor changed) - 10 mg zyprexa

July 21 - July 24 (outpatient doctor said got worse) -  15 mg zyprexa

July 25 - now (quit ct with family supervision) - nothing

 

I quit ct and was successful, but there were tons of symptoms and without my family support probably impossible. My situation was fortunate, and maybe if I tapered there would be less symptoms. But I feel what worked was a will to keep going, patience, and attitude to want to get better in any situation ct or tapering.

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  • Administrator

Bumping to point out the benefits of very soft music for sleep. 

 

An endless loop of meditation or trance music at a volume just high enough for you to hear while you're going to sleep can help you relax.

 

Following the music to quiet your mind is a very effective way to stop anxious thoughts that might keep you awake or, if you tend to wake in the middle of the night, keep you from relaxing back into sleep.

 

If your nervous system is in a hypersensitive state and jerking you awake when you're sleeping too deeply, hearing the music can keep it from over-reacting. Even if you're sleeping and not aware of the music, your ears are still hearing it. This reassures a hypervigilant nervous system from waking you up because it's afraid you're losing consciousness.

 

White noise or a fan can do the same, but that type of sound does not offer the meditation guidance if you should wake up.

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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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Music for self-care: calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

I hope this works for you, music starts at 26 seconds in.

 

https://youtu.be/ZcZcDHRGyOs?t=26

 

it is a scene from the Andy Griffith show "man in a hurry" where they sing Church in the Wild Wood. 

works for me. 

Currently taking Ramapril (blood pressure) 5 mg twice a day

Omeprazole 10 mg AM and 20 mg PM  (the taper has gone nowhere after the first cut)

Famotidine   once a day (and I still needs tums sometimes)

magnesium 200 mg at night

as of yesterday 2 fish oil capsules "EPA-DHA 1000"

 

off Lexapro as of 5/2018  - last dose had been 5 mg every other day for a couple years

 

highest dose had been 20 mg at which point I was diagnosed with Bipolar II, which went away when I cut the lexapro down to 15 mg. 

 

I spent years on Paxil before Lexapro (can't remember dose), briefly on Effexor and Abilify and others I have forgotten. in fact, when I was diagnoses with BPII I was put on all kinds of things which made me feel so bad I stopped them cold turkey within maybe 3 or 4 weeks, thank goodness. since then I've known these pills were terrible and I weaned down the Lexapro with zero help or support over I'm not sure how many years. 

 

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  • 1 month later...

I have recently discovered binaural beats and think find it helpful. It makes me quite emotional.

They played it at my yoga class at the end. It's very calming. 

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17309374

Fluoxetine 20mg a day, (mornings) Amitryptilline 10-50mg (evenings) for last two years (usually lowest dose of the latter) Previously on and off Fluoxetine since 1999. Off completely for pregnancies in 200s with no problems but recently more difficult to withdraw.End 2018 Tapered to 10mg Fluoxetine (am) and 10mg Amitryptilline (evening)Co-codomol 30/500 prescribed (one to two tabs 6 hrly as required for pain)

 

Start Jan 2019 5mg Fluoxetine mornings. Stopped amitryptilline.

6th Feb 2019 Stopped Fluoxetine, 2 X 425mg St Johns Wort daily. 

9th Feb 2019 Reinstated 5mg Prozac, stopped SJW due to headaches and upset tummy.

10th Feb 2019 Started using liquid diluted Prozac and syringe, dividing doses (2 X 2.5ml) = 5mg daily

12th Feb 2019 Stopped prozac after even small doses seem to be causing a bad reaction.

17th Feb 2019 Started taking single dose 425mg SJW mornings 

 

Also taking supplements: Multivitamin, Longvida Curcumin 500mg a day, Magnesium Citrate 500mg/day, Magnesium L-threonate 50mg/day, Omega 3 (with Vit E) 1000mg/day, Vitamin D3 20000IU

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Moderator

Substrata (or anything really) from Biosphere is a household fave for chillage here.  Can be a little on the darker side at times but I don't mind that.

 

Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works I is always great for relaxing, especially with company.

 

I'm a big fan of Soma FM's Drone Zone stream both at bedtime on a sleep timer and as a very gentle alarm clock.

 

Eno's original Music for Airports is still remarkably calming, too.

I am not a health professional - your actions are your own.  

Please do not seek tapering support via private message - "Any reason to hold is a good one"

My taper visualised as a graph   |   My intro thread

Backdrop:  2003 10mg olanzapine | 2004 2-3mg risperidone | end 2014 3wks aripiprazole

2015: olanzapine  10 -> 7½ -> 6⅔ -> 5mg  by crude pill cutter

2018:  Mar 5.00mg -> water titrated taper -> Aug2.5mg tablet and hold

Jan 2019 2.50mg water titration -> Jan 2020 1.214  -> Jan 2021 0.44 -> 2 Oct 0.205 ->3 Oct ZERO🥂

Jun 2023 💉150mg paliperidone "loading" depot shot, 100mg 1wk after Jul 100mg Aug-Dec 75mg/4wks

Jul 2023 2.50mg aripiprazole/day attempt to lower prolactin^

Jan-Feb 2024 cross taper off shots to 1mg risperidone

 

Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country did to you"  -- KMFDM

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Moderator

A quick bump - I felt like sharing that I've found listening to pretty much all the Cocteau Twins albums back to back is really helping with some of the bumps lately.  Ethereal and sweet.

I am not a health professional - your actions are your own.  

Please do not seek tapering support via private message - "Any reason to hold is a good one"

My taper visualised as a graph   |   My intro thread

Backdrop:  2003 10mg olanzapine | 2004 2-3mg risperidone | end 2014 3wks aripiprazole

2015: olanzapine  10 -> 7½ -> 6⅔ -> 5mg  by crude pill cutter

2018:  Mar 5.00mg -> water titrated taper -> Aug2.5mg tablet and hold

Jan 2019 2.50mg water titration -> Jan 2020 1.214  -> Jan 2021 0.44 -> 2 Oct 0.205 ->3 Oct ZERO🥂

Jun 2023 💉150mg paliperidone "loading" depot shot, 100mg 1wk after Jul 100mg Aug-Dec 75mg/4wks

Jul 2023 2.50mg aripiprazole/day attempt to lower prolactin^

Jan-Feb 2024 cross taper off shots to 1mg risperidone

 

Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country did to you"  -- KMFDM

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  • 4 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Spotify has sleep music playlists that are 10 hours long.  The music is very relaxing and soothing.  I signed up for Spotify premium, so no ad interruptions to wake me up.  I'm going to try and hook up to my playlist all night and see if that doesn't help the insomnia.  

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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Well I tried listening to relaxing sleep music.  It sort of worked the first night, but was a disaster last night.  I had my power strip on the dresser next to me, to which was attached to two chargers to charge my phone and iPad.  I was listening to the music via Spotify through corded earbuds attached to the iPad.  (I don't know that cordless earbuds would hold a charge throughout the night, plus they are sort of bulky and would be uncomfortable as I sleep on my side and they would press into my ear)  In the middle of the night, the power strip fell off the dresser, and took with it the chargers and devices.  I was wide awake by now, had to turn on the light and straighten the whole mess out.   It took hours to go back to sleep.  My husband is in bed with me too, which is why I listen through the ear buds.  I may try sleeping in my guest bedroom, and just play the music out loud without ear buds.  

 

Perhaps I just need to accept that my sleep is going to be really messed up for a while, until my CNS sorts itself out.  Sometimes trying to find solutions to our symptoms just creates more stress and aggravation.  

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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  • 7 months later...

Titled:  CHILL.....a playlist for relaxation during difficult times

 

music  and sound therapy has been a good thing for a long time

 

CHILL...a playlist for relaxation during difficult times

click through for whole playlist:   HERE

 

 

More music and sounds for healing and chilling...

Edited by manymoretodays
title added, merged to existing topic

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 10 months later...

 

On 2/9/2019 at 2:54 AM, Altostrata said:

Bumping to point out the benefits of very soft music for sleep. 

 

An endless loop of meditation or trance music at a volume just high enough for you to hear while you're going to sleep can help you relax.

 

Following the music to quiet your mind is a very effective way to stop anxious thoughts that might keep you awake or, if you tend to wake in the middle of the night, keep you from relaxing back into sleep.

 

If your nervous system is in a hypersensitive state and jerking you awake when you're sleeping too deeply, hearing the music can keep it from over-reacting. Even if you're sleeping and not aware of the music, your ears are still hearing it. This reassures a hypervigilant nervous system from waking you up because it's afraid you're losing consciousness.

 

White noise or a fan can do the same, but that type of sound does not offer the meditation guidance if you should wake up.

 

So my nervous system is afraid its losing consciousness? This is why I have been experiencing surges of warm anxious energy wash over my chest and jolt me upright, often times gasping for air and feeling like my heart was about to stop beating and I was about to stop breathing? Hearing this explanation makes sense. Do you have any more information on what is happening here. I have been experiencing these every night since Christmas of this past year. Some nights they're mild and some nights they're very intense and really scare me. when I'm jolted by these sensations its as if my mind has just realized that my body was about to slip away - my heart stop beating and my lungs stop breathing. Almost like body will cease to function if I am not actively willing it to keep working to keep me alive. Like my body will shut down and die if I don't react to the stimulus. The sensations in my chest are so strong too as if someone has injected that part of my body with lava, I physically feel this surge rush over that area. The physical feeling is accompanied by a psychological feeling of panic and fear. What I've found to be somewhat helpful is to sleep with my TV on at low volume. Listening to people talk in the background makes me feel safer, less alone and also keeps my brain from focusing on my negative thoughts so much. 

 

Are these sensations anything to fear or should I do my best to stop reacting to them and just allow them to be there without judgment, accepting that they're uncomfortable but knowing that I'm safe? Or are they something to worry about? 

Prozac: 20-40mg from 2006-2019. Zoloft: 2003-2005 off and on. Adderall XR: 20-50mg (abused so took more than prescribed often) 2006-2016. Amphetamine Salts 2006-2016 10-20mg (abused). Ativan: 2009-2010 1mg. Suboxone 16mg sublingual strips 2013-2016. Vyvanse: mg? (abused) 2014-2015. Alprazolam: December 2018- June 2019 1-2mg (abused). Diazepam: June 2019-November 2019 mg? (used to taper me off of Xanax). Lexapro: 2018-September 2020 10-20mg. Mitrazapine 30mg: Nov 2019-May 2020 (tapered off over 3 months) Trintillex: May 2019-December 2019 (mg?). Hormonal birth control 2003-2019.

Lexapro: 11/30/21- 12/2/21 - .5mg; 12/11/21 - 12/12/21 - 2.5mg 

Ativan: 12/11/21 - .5mg; 12/12/21 - .25mg 

supplements (current):

Morning: 400mg L-Theanine, 375mg magnesium.

Night:  450mg Valerian Root, 2.5mg Melatonin

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@MaryMoo429what you are experiencing sounds like the typical fear, panic, anxiety of psych drug withdrawal.  In my opinion, the best strategy would be the latter one.  I suggest you research Claire Weekes.  She gives excellent strategies on here and on YouTube about dealing with anxiety.  Jennifer

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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@getofflexThank you for these suggestions, I will look into them today. Very much appreciated💓

Prozac: 20-40mg from 2006-2019. Zoloft: 2003-2005 off and on. Adderall XR: 20-50mg (abused so took more than prescribed often) 2006-2016. Amphetamine Salts 2006-2016 10-20mg (abused). Ativan: 2009-2010 1mg. Suboxone 16mg sublingual strips 2013-2016. Vyvanse: mg? (abused) 2014-2015. Alprazolam: December 2018- June 2019 1-2mg (abused). Diazepam: June 2019-November 2019 mg? (used to taper me off of Xanax). Lexapro: 2018-September 2020 10-20mg. Mitrazapine 30mg: Nov 2019-May 2020 (tapered off over 3 months) Trintillex: May 2019-December 2019 (mg?). Hormonal birth control 2003-2019.

Lexapro: 11/30/21- 12/2/21 - .5mg; 12/11/21 - 12/12/21 - 2.5mg 

Ativan: 12/11/21 - .5mg; 12/12/21 - .25mg 

supplements (current):

Morning: 400mg L-Theanine, 375mg magnesium.

Night:  450mg Valerian Root, 2.5mg Melatonin

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On 2/22/2021 at 6:27 AM, MaryMoo429 said:

What I've found to be somewhat helpful is to sleep with my TV on at low volume. Listening to people talk in the background makes me feel safer, less alone and also keeps my brain from focusing on my negative thoughts so much. 

 

I did exactly the same for quite a while. Nature shows and costume dramas with soothing music were the best. Shows with explosions were not helpful!

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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  • 1 month later...

Hello everyone,

 

recently i cutted this meditation music (https://freesound.org/people/sunnyflower/sounds/360352 copyright free, its from this sleep meditation video) in loops

and uploaded 3 different version in google drive. 30 minutes, 2 hours and 10 hours.

The 10 hours version....could be helpful for sleep? I find this music very calming. The name of the audio is in german, so dont be confused.

 

If you want to download and use it for whatever you want, see these links (mp3):



30 minutes meditation music (27 mb) : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A0DixV ... sp=sharing

2 hours meditation music (107 mb) : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LXaHn7 ... sp=sharing


10 hours meditation music (549 mb) : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b_EOrG ... sp=sharing



Greetings

 

Nomansland

2022 IMPORTANT WITHDRAWAL SURVEY, PLEASE PARTICIPATE: https://uelpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0AR9IsQ61jsiXBk

 

non-native speaker of english

2020: 3-March -> started Mirtazapine 15mg;

3-March to 6-April -> approx. cutting to 0 mg; 6-April to 20-April -> ~ 7,5 mg; 21-April to 31-April -> 15 mg; 1-May to 13-May -> ~ 10 mg (approx.); 15-May to 19-July -> 15 mg (psychosomatic clinic) 19-July -> started taper (scale and file) 14 mg (-6,6%); 08-August -> 12 mg (-14,3 %); 27-August -> 10 mg (-16,6 %); 15-September -> 8 mg (-20 %, bad idea, heavy WD); 23-September -> 10.2 mg (+20 %, 102 mgpw)

2021: 12-April to 12-May -> crossover from solid pill to DIY liquid (water only), 10.2 mg, not stable; 10-September -> back to crushing and weighing, still 10.2 mg (102 mgpw)

2022: 13-March -> changed to DIY liquid with suspension vehicle, 10.2 mg

 

Supplements: 1 x ~125 mg magnesiumbiglycinate before bed, low histamine diet

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Hello everyone,

 

i had to update the 2 hours version of the medititation music, because uploading it to google drive deleted half of the audio.

Its now changed and works. Download-link stays the same.

 

Greetings

 

Nomansland

2022 IMPORTANT WITHDRAWAL SURVEY, PLEASE PARTICIPATE: https://uelpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0AR9IsQ61jsiXBk

 

non-native speaker of english

2020: 3-March -> started Mirtazapine 15mg;

3-March to 6-April -> approx. cutting to 0 mg; 6-April to 20-April -> ~ 7,5 mg; 21-April to 31-April -> 15 mg; 1-May to 13-May -> ~ 10 mg (approx.); 15-May to 19-July -> 15 mg (psychosomatic clinic) 19-July -> started taper (scale and file) 14 mg (-6,6%); 08-August -> 12 mg (-14,3 %); 27-August -> 10 mg (-16,6 %); 15-September -> 8 mg (-20 %, bad idea, heavy WD); 23-September -> 10.2 mg (+20 %, 102 mgpw)

2021: 12-April to 12-May -> crossover from solid pill to DIY liquid (water only), 10.2 mg, not stable; 10-September -> back to crushing and weighing, still 10.2 mg (102 mgpw)

2022: 13-March -> changed to DIY liquid with suspension vehicle, 10.2 mg

 

Supplements: 1 x ~125 mg magnesiumbiglycinate before bed, low histamine diet

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  • 1 month later...

@MaryMoo429

 

Hi everyone

 

I believe I've found an easy-to-apply solution for surges of warm anxious energy crawling over the chest and jolting u awake right at the moment of transition to sleep. The damned symptom kept me sleep-deprived for days and months until, through numerous trial and error maneuvers, I came across a non-drug solution for this. From  what I've gathered the anxious energy surge usually takes place after 4 am and is mostly a result of "morning cortisol rush". The trick is to sleep in "supine position" not to the sides or prone when the surge is likely to occur. This is the 3rd day I'm trying this and the surges seem to subside considerably. It doesn't hurt to give it a try.

-2015 september zoloft (20 mg updosed to 125) plus clonazepam for anxiety and panic attacks

2016 Jan replaced clonazepam with chlorodiazpoxide 20 mg

-2016 April cold turkeyed both after a urinary retention surgery with no withdrawal symptom at all

-2018 Jan perscribed Nortriptyline 10 mg for vestibular vertigo 

-2018 Feb due to the horrible side effects which my psychiatrist took for depression and anxiety, Nortriptyline began to be updosed to reach 100 in June

-2018 Oct noticed I wasexperiencing no pleasure in life and decided to taper(zombie-style kind of life)Tapered to fast to reach 50 mg in 2019 Feb

-Terrible withdrawal symtoms began to creep up, had to updose to 75 in June 2019

-Began to make changes in diet and lifestyle and tapered again to reach 30 by 2020 Jan

-(using Brassmonkey method from here on)By May 2020 reached 22.5 when my whole taper process hit the wall due to infection to God-damned Covid 19. Late Sep 2020 restarted my taper 16 mg in Jan 2021, Jan 2021 to Feb down from 16mg to 14.5mg,Feb to March 13mg,March to July had to hold on 13mg due to being sold counterfeit drugs, took me a while to find out and get a new batch and get back on track again,July to August 11.5 mg,August to Sep 10.5 mg,Sep to Oct 9.5 mg, Jan 2022 started the water solution Nori, had to hold for a few months due to the horrible side effects of Covid shots, restarted taper on June 2022, March 2023(now) 1.8 mg (deem myself 60 to 70 percent recovered and functional)

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I think you are all Listening New Age songs

(6 Aug 2019 start taper 4.8mg, 5 Sep - 4mg,

16 oct 19- 3mg, 28 nov 19 - 2mg, 11 may 20 -1mg

1 oct 20- 0.5mg, 24 dec 20 - 0.25mg,

5 jan 21- 0.2375, 9 jan 21 - 0.225, 13 jan 21 - 0.2125,

17 jan 21-  0.2, 21 jan 21 - 0.1875, 25 jan 21 - 0.175,

29 jan 21 - 0.1625, 2 feb 21 - 0.15, 6 feb 21 - 0.1375,

10 feb 21 - 0.125, 14 feb 21 - 0.1125, 18 feb 21 - 0.1, 

22 feb  - 0.0875, 26 feb - 0.075 , 2 mar - 0.0625, 

9 mar - 0.05625, 13 mar- .05, 17 mar - 0.04375,

 22 mar- 0.0375, 27 mar- .03125, 31 mar- 0.025

At 9 Apr - 0.0125 From 10 Apr - 0.0000 )

End game Taper from  0.5mg to 0.125mg

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@Iman Thank you for the suggestion. For some reason with the exception of one night, two nights ago, this symptom has stopped for me entirely! I almost don’t even want to mention this for fear of it coming back. Over the past 6 weeks, I would say, I’ve been able to fall asleep without feeling this awful rush of energy surge over my chest. I have no idea why it stopped and haven’t been doing anything different that I am aware of. While other symptoms of mine are currently horrendous, this one in particular has ceased (for now anyhow). I’m wondering if this is a representation of some sort of patchwork healing. Whatever it is, I don’t even want to question it, I’m just so happy to not be dealing with it anymore!!! Also, for me, the surges I was getting occurred whenever I decided to try to go to sleep and actually didn’t happen at 4am. Most times they were anywhere from 9-12, when I was initially trying to fall asleep. If I fell asleep and woke up, I usually didn’t deal with these feelings again. It was really the initial act of falling asleep that was the most problematic for me. 
 

so interesting about sleeping in the supine position. I’m interested to hear whether this continues to be a success for you. 
 

Much love, 

 

Mary

Prozac: 20-40mg from 2006-2019. Zoloft: 2003-2005 off and on. Adderall XR: 20-50mg (abused so took more than prescribed often) 2006-2016. Amphetamine Salts 2006-2016 10-20mg (abused). Ativan: 2009-2010 1mg. Suboxone 16mg sublingual strips 2013-2016. Vyvanse: mg? (abused) 2014-2015. Alprazolam: December 2018- June 2019 1-2mg (abused). Diazepam: June 2019-November 2019 mg? (used to taper me off of Xanax). Lexapro: 2018-September 2020 10-20mg. Mitrazapine 30mg: Nov 2019-May 2020 (tapered off over 3 months) Trintillex: May 2019-December 2019 (mg?). Hormonal birth control 2003-2019.

Lexapro: 11/30/21- 12/2/21 - .5mg; 12/11/21 - 12/12/21 - 2.5mg 

Ativan: 12/11/21 - .5mg; 12/12/21 - .25mg 

supplements (current):

Morning: 400mg L-Theanine, 375mg magnesium.

Night:  450mg Valerian Root, 2.5mg Melatonin

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