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What helps, what doesn't? Managing supplements, herbs, vitamins, amino acids, etc.


Shanti

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Be very careful when starting supplements.   Recently, I starting taking some bone restore capsules from Life Extension which I added to my daily MV and vitamin D.   Even though I only took half the starting dose, I got blood pressure and heart rate spikes that were alarming.   Fortunately, things seems to be improving since I stopped everything but I suspect it will take a few days to know for sure.

 

One thing I would advise is to have a BP monitor on hand even if you don't have a history of high blood pressure.   Take it before starting the supplements and then take various readings from time to time after starting them.  If you see your BP go up too far, then that item is not for you.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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  • Moderator Emeritus

What ingredients?  Was it these?

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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What ingredients?  Was it these?

Yup, that was it.

 

However, I am now wondering if my BP and HR were high and perhaps this aggravated the condition.    Because it still hasn't come down after being off of everything for a day.  Hard to say.

 

If nothing changes after a few days, I will have to find out if I can have a scheduled tooth implant with high blood pressure.   I doubt it but I will see what I am told.  I may need to see the cardiologist to get back on BP meds since she prescribed them initially because I discontinued them when I kept getting normal readings after my septoplasty last year.

 

Still, I think my warning is applicable since anytime our bodies are in hypersensitive states, we can have abnormal reactions to almost anything.

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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a lot of herbs can bring about detox too quickly...but using them carefully over time has really helped me heal in profound ways...and yeah, gotta be careful with coriander (seeds and greens)

 

for those in the USA coriander greens is cilantro! 

 

cilantro is one of the stronger culinary herbs that chelates...but lots of herbs have detoxifying properties and have thus have helped me heal...as I said above I like using natural herbs best because they really are so potent but they're also food so they come with all their constituent parts which in my mind makes them easier on the body in a multitude of ways over synthetic stuff in many supplements. 

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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  • 3 weeks later...

Has anyone tried theanine serene with relora?

 

New dr wants me to take it with Lunesta to help get off of Lunesta

In 2015- had UTI put on Microbid. Stopped sleeping & had a nervous breakdown! Was put on Seroquil, Trazadone, Klonopin, just to name a few! Got off all drugs except Celexa until May of 2018. 

 

Update as of 1/19- reinstated Celexa 20mg. Drinking wine nightly along with a slew of meds/supplements to try and get to sleep. 

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Has anyone tried theanine serene with relora?

 

New dr wants me to take it with Lunesta to help get off of Lunesta

 

free... What I'd suggest is you read this thread.  While some supplements can help you build up your system, they do not help with withdrawal per se.  There is alot of information to that effect here.. and it should answer your questions, even though the specific combination is not discussed.  Also, you should to link to the supplements to which you refer so people can see the ingredients. 

As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule.

 

Requip - 3/16 ZERO  Total time on 25 years.

 

Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.

BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10)  Total time on 25 years.

 

Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section.  "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin

 

 

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Well, I'm tapering lamotrigine. It's a long story.

 

I'm a menopausal woman. I'm taking

 

- fish oil (6 capsules per day) with vitamin E (400IU) (At least 2,000mg EPA + DHA per day)

- multivitamin with minerals (no iron)

- 100mg CoQ10

- 300mg niacinamide

- 1000mg extended-release vitamin C (in divided doses)

- 1200IU vitamin D

- lots of calcium citrate

- 75mg-100mg magnesium citrate

- 81mg aspirin

 

plus, I was taking betacarotene for vitamin A and I think I'll take it again -- my eyes are irritated from allergies.

 

Is it important to take fish oil WITH vitamin E? Can someone explain why vitamin E is important?

June, 1998 zoloft 50 mg. Had entered menopause, was irritable and anxious

Summer 2010, added welbutrin to zoloft, switched to effexor,did not work
9/ 2010 zoloft 75 mg. 11/25/10 50 mg.  12/30 45
1/19/11 40.5 2/6 36.5 3/7 32.8
3/29 29.5 4/20 25 5/28 22.5
6/16 20.2 7/7 18.2 7/28 16.4
8/18 14.7 9/8 13.0 9/23 12.5
10/10 11.2 11/6 10.6 11/9 11.2
12/7 10.5 1/1/12 10 2/1 9.5
3/1 9 3/23 8.5 4/30 5/29 7.5 6/26 7 7/31 6.5
8/22 6 9/15 5.5 10/2012/17 4.8 (switched to homemade liquid) 2/8/2013 zoloft free

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There's a good link here:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/

 

but basically it helps your body make better use of the fish oil, plus it addresses concerns that fish oil may use up vitamin e from the body. 

 

I also like it cause it's one of those things that supposedly is good for skin.

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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I was stupid and started too many supplements at the same time and i´m using also Valium and Temazepam. I quitted zyprexa one month ago. My story is in a short way explained: using ssri:s for many years > Quitted> end up hospitalization> benzos and antipsychotics, and months of suffering, akathisia, restlessness, terrible reactions to medicines. 

 

Now my situation have been stabilized, although i feel like i suffer every day. I was so fed up with anhedonia and lack of energy, so i thought, the more the better with supplements.  No way it is like that.

I used a combination of taurine and tyrosine, carnosine, magnesium with low dose of 3 b-vitamins, fish-oil tablets which contain a,d and e-vitamins.

I was fine using those, didn´t notice any side effects. Slept okay.

 

But then...

Then i was stupid and tried one(!) pill of 5-htp 50 mg. What a poison to a person who has used and stopped various meds.

I didnt read it can cause interactions with sedatives that i use, i read it after i took it -stupid. I was so drowsy and sleepy, even the next day after, 5htp can increase the sleepiness of Valium and other similar drugs. I read it can cause even parkinson kind of symptoms when used with valium. I was terrified. My depersonalization got worse, felt like i was in a dream state(still do, i seriously feel terrible) and anxiety went really high also. I felt like my heart pounded like crazy and i have got same kind of terror and panic feelings in my body after i stopped Lexapro. I have drinked coffee with no problems and now i feel i get a panic attack from coffee and my appetite is gone. My nervous system feels terrible, like its in overdrive or something. Two nights and only few hours of sleep. Before that i slept like a baby with Temazepam and melatonin(Even 10 hours!), which are prescriped by doctor, and i realized those sleep have kept me sane. Now i cant go back to sleep when i wake up in the night. When i was feeling the worst i only slept 2 hours, so now im worried i have ruined my sleep with my stupid experiments. I hope this terrible terrible feeling goes away. What a stupid fool i am.

2005-2009 Lexapro 10-20mg & Remeron 7,5mg: cold turkey

2010 tried Venlafaxine (month),

2011-2012 Seroquel 25mg (few months)

2014 6 days Cipro(antibiotics) adverse reaction

2011-2015 Lexapro 10-20mg (tapered off during 4 months) 

2015-2016 (all these drugs during 9 months during SSRI wd,did not tolerate most of them ) : tried Remeron, Temazepam. Reinstatement of Lexapro 3 months after stopping it: fail. Akathisia, insomnia. Zyprexa10mg, Sodium Valproate, Temazepam(20mg), Oxazepam 30-45 mgs. Switching meds: Seroquel 50-100mg, Oxazepam  30-45mg , Temazepam 20mg. Then back to Zyprexa 10mg, Temazepam20mg, doctor took me off Oxazepam fast. Then Zyprexa 20mg, Temazepam 20mg, melatonin10mg ( sometimes very rarely Valium 10 mg.) Zyprexa: cold turkey because 20 mg Zyprexa made akathisia intolerable after every dose. After it insomnia, 24/7 akathisia, adverse reactions to supplements.

2016 spring daily  Valium 15mg (for akathisia)>0mg (used for 4 months and during that time slowly tapered off), tried Betablockers (shortly), Temazepam 40 mg > 25 mg (tapered in 3 months)

2016 summer Temazepam 25 mg > 20 mg, melatonin 2,5 mg

2016 november Melatonin 0,5 mg, Temazepam 20 mg.  Started tapering again.

2022 july (microtapering) 3,0 mg Temazepam Supplements: Probiotics, magnesium oil occasionally, melatonin 0,5 mg

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And i quitted all the other supplements except fish oil and magnesium. After a week of experimenting with supplements I can say it can make things go backwards. I seriously don´t recommend 5-htp for everyone with sensitive nervous system and bad sleeping problems and especially when used with other meds, because the influence of the supplement can be exactly opposite (it is said that it helps with insomnia, but in my case it worsened it)

I was crying one day, when I felt so depressed, I didn´t understand things can go even worse. I already have forgotten my anxiety attacks and insomnia, because i got away from them. With supplements you have to be extra careful, now i would add only one at time. But now i feel no more new supplements.

2005-2009 Lexapro 10-20mg & Remeron 7,5mg: cold turkey

2010 tried Venlafaxine (month),

2011-2012 Seroquel 25mg (few months)

2014 6 days Cipro(antibiotics) adverse reaction

2011-2015 Lexapro 10-20mg (tapered off during 4 months) 

2015-2016 (all these drugs during 9 months during SSRI wd,did not tolerate most of them ) : tried Remeron, Temazepam. Reinstatement of Lexapro 3 months after stopping it: fail. Akathisia, insomnia. Zyprexa10mg, Sodium Valproate, Temazepam(20mg), Oxazepam 30-45 mgs. Switching meds: Seroquel 50-100mg, Oxazepam  30-45mg , Temazepam 20mg. Then back to Zyprexa 10mg, Temazepam20mg, doctor took me off Oxazepam fast. Then Zyprexa 20mg, Temazepam 20mg, melatonin10mg ( sometimes very rarely Valium 10 mg.) Zyprexa: cold turkey because 20 mg Zyprexa made akathisia intolerable after every dose. After it insomnia, 24/7 akathisia, adverse reactions to supplements.

2016 spring daily  Valium 15mg (for akathisia)>0mg (used for 4 months and during that time slowly tapered off), tried Betablockers (shortly), Temazepam 40 mg > 25 mg (tapered in 3 months)

2016 summer Temazepam 25 mg > 20 mg, melatonin 2,5 mg

2016 november Melatonin 0,5 mg, Temazepam 20 mg.  Started tapering again.

2022 july (microtapering) 3,0 mg Temazepam Supplements: Probiotics, magnesium oil occasionally, melatonin 0,5 mg

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Things seem to get worse and worse after my experiment with 5-htp, one pill. I think i got some kind of adverse reaction. I read reviews from amazon, from 5-htp products, and it seems many people have some kind of bad reaction to 5-htp. This insomnia is terrible, i tried to take another sleeping pill at night > nothing happened.

Now i have had 3 nights with only 3 hours of sleep(before i had got my sleep to min.8 hours) although I even use sleeping med- not working. I wake up in the middle of the night to somekind of anxiety attack and then my brain refuse to go back to sleep. I have had tremor, somekind of shakiness, disorientation, terrible anxiety, panic,agitation, muscle stiffness, akathisia kind of symptoms (i had it at one point also but survived) and i have blamed myself, why i had to take that stupid supplement, half dose of that ,50 mg, when my situation wasnt that bad. I met my friends, and was quite active and could even somehow enjoy from my fav tv-shows and so on although i suffered from anhedonia. Now i can barely able to think, im such a mess. I have suffered a little bit of tremor after my meds before but nothing like this. I almost can eat because i get very agitated in my body when i eat. I am 100 percent sure it was because of that supplement, I had survived to a pretty decent level where i didn´t suffer anymore so badly in my body. I have had similar effects than when quitting ssri:s when my nervous system was almost irritated, and i suffered from debilitating panic and anxiety and i had terrible insomnia. Why i didn´t considerate that i might be very sensitive with anything that has something to do with serotonin. Even Zyprexa although I think I didnt react to that medicine very well, didnt cause anything like this.

I am so mad at myself and can´t cope anymore, hopefully hospitalization isn´t ahead of me again if i cant stand anymore :( I have also read 5-htp can cause Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome. One man have wrote a book of him suffering from that after eating just two tryptophan capsules. I´m afraid cause he has similar symptoms with me. These supplements are dangerous!!

https://books.google.fi/books?id=ViMDAwAAQBAJ&pg=PR26&lpg=PR26&dq=tryptophan+induced+ems+book&source=bl&ots=KahKKXag9E&sig=BkUEx6paPPyH3P6CFRJJrcbTrLU&hl=fi&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiWsZK7j5LLAhVFKA8KHcGYDk4Q6AEIRDAD#v=onepage&q=tryptophan%20induced%20ems%20book&f=false

2005-2009 Lexapro 10-20mg & Remeron 7,5mg: cold turkey

2010 tried Venlafaxine (month),

2011-2012 Seroquel 25mg (few months)

2014 6 days Cipro(antibiotics) adverse reaction

2011-2015 Lexapro 10-20mg (tapered off during 4 months) 

2015-2016 (all these drugs during 9 months during SSRI wd,did not tolerate most of them ) : tried Remeron, Temazepam. Reinstatement of Lexapro 3 months after stopping it: fail. Akathisia, insomnia. Zyprexa10mg, Sodium Valproate, Temazepam(20mg), Oxazepam 30-45 mgs. Switching meds: Seroquel 50-100mg, Oxazepam  30-45mg , Temazepam 20mg. Then back to Zyprexa 10mg, Temazepam20mg, doctor took me off Oxazepam fast. Then Zyprexa 20mg, Temazepam 20mg, melatonin10mg ( sometimes very rarely Valium 10 mg.) Zyprexa: cold turkey because 20 mg Zyprexa made akathisia intolerable after every dose. After it insomnia, 24/7 akathisia, adverse reactions to supplements.

2016 spring daily  Valium 15mg (for akathisia)>0mg (used for 4 months and during that time slowly tapered off), tried Betablockers (shortly), Temazepam 40 mg > 25 mg (tapered in 3 months)

2016 summer Temazepam 25 mg > 20 mg, melatonin 2,5 mg

2016 november Melatonin 0,5 mg, Temazepam 20 mg.  Started tapering again.

2022 july (microtapering) 3,0 mg Temazepam Supplements: Probiotics, magnesium oil occasionally, melatonin 0,5 mg

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5-HTP has consistently messed me up...I have no interest in ever trying it again...I do think it's typical of folks like us that develop hyper-sensitivities...I'm not at all surprised...

 

The flare will calm down in time...keep taking care of yourself. I know it's hard when stuff like this happens because we're trying to feel better and we inadvertently make ourselves feel worse. 

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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My doctor was like: You cant get a reaction like that from a supplement and how can i be so sensitive to everything. He was even suggesting me to take antidepressants again, because i seem to be depressed. I would take any AD that would fix me but there isn´t none that would cure everything drugs have done to me, I loved time when i started AD:s (oh it´s so long time ago)  but those things arent for me anymore. I just cant take meds anymore because of my sensitive CNS and i already suffer so much I´m really scared of new drugs. My goal is to be drug free, but i´m really far from there and if anything helps me now, i would seriously want to try it.

2005-2009 Lexapro 10-20mg & Remeron 7,5mg: cold turkey

2010 tried Venlafaxine (month),

2011-2012 Seroquel 25mg (few months)

2014 6 days Cipro(antibiotics) adverse reaction

2011-2015 Lexapro 10-20mg (tapered off during 4 months) 

2015-2016 (all these drugs during 9 months during SSRI wd,did not tolerate most of them ) : tried Remeron, Temazepam. Reinstatement of Lexapro 3 months after stopping it: fail. Akathisia, insomnia. Zyprexa10mg, Sodium Valproate, Temazepam(20mg), Oxazepam 30-45 mgs. Switching meds: Seroquel 50-100mg, Oxazepam  30-45mg , Temazepam 20mg. Then back to Zyprexa 10mg, Temazepam20mg, doctor took me off Oxazepam fast. Then Zyprexa 20mg, Temazepam 20mg, melatonin10mg ( sometimes very rarely Valium 10 mg.) Zyprexa: cold turkey because 20 mg Zyprexa made akathisia intolerable after every dose. After it insomnia, 24/7 akathisia, adverse reactions to supplements.

2016 spring daily  Valium 15mg (for akathisia)>0mg (used for 4 months and during that time slowly tapered off), tried Betablockers (shortly), Temazepam 40 mg > 25 mg (tapered in 3 months)

2016 summer Temazepam 25 mg > 20 mg, melatonin 2,5 mg

2016 november Melatonin 0,5 mg, Temazepam 20 mg.  Started tapering again.

2022 july (microtapering) 3,0 mg Temazepam Supplements: Probiotics, magnesium oil occasionally, melatonin 0,5 mg

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After I had a 'crash' back in April of 2015 I went to see a naturopath who specialised in iridology. I was desperate. She told me that I had way too much cortisol in my body that was causing the depression. Like I say, I was desperate and ready to accept any help. She put me on a number of supplements. I spent over $400. One of them was Saffron in capsule form. I had to take two capsules per day. I continued with these until I ran out in September. I never replaced them because I wanted to see how I felt without them. There were not many studies on saffron but the one that I did read seemed to suggest it was beneficial for depression and actually in a double blind study participants said it was just as effective as the antidepressant it was up against. I will look for the link to that study and add it when I find it later on. I'm thinking of going back on it because to be honest I haven't felt as good as I did whilst I was taking it. But for me there is probably a big placebo factor in place. If I believe something is going to help me I seem to respond positively. For all I know I could have been taking a sugar pill. 

 

 

 

http://www.nature4science.com/zaffronel/Affron_Crocus-Sativus_vs_fluoxetine-Prozac.pdf

 

The only other things that I take that I think help are fish oil and magnesium. Magnesium definitely has a calming effect on me within a few minutes of consuming it. 

I'm so happy you gave saffron a try and you're feeling great!  There is not placebo effect, there a plenty of cientific evidence proving that saffron works. I've been reseaching this spice for almost 4 years and I finally decided to give it a try about a year ago and I'm happy to say that I was able to drop my precription antidepressant (40 mg Citalopram) and now I'm only taking the saffron.  I know it really works, so far no side effects. I truly believe it is the safest supplement out there.  I'm giving it to my kids 14 and 11 years old (OCD and Bipolar) and they are doing great, they even remember to take it every morning.  I don't know what I'll do without it.   I know this is not a magic pill and we need to use other techniques and coping skills to deal with our depresion.   I wish more companies will offer this supplements to people like you and me. Good luck , life is short and we need to live it HAPPY!

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Things seem to get worse and worse after my experiment with 5-htp, one pill. I think i got some kind of adverse reaction. I read reviews from amazon, from 5-htp products, and it seems many people have some kind of bad reaction to 5-htp. This insomnia is terrible, i tried to take another sleeping pill at night > nothing happened.

Now i have had 3 nights with only 3 hours of sleep(before i had got my sleep to min.8 hours) although I even use sleeping med- not working. I wake up in the middle of the night to somekind of anxiety attack and then my brain refuse to go back to sleep. I have had tremor, somekind of shakiness, disorientation, terrible anxiety, panic,agitation, muscle stiffness, akathisia kind of symptoms (i had it at one point also but survived) and i have blamed myself, why i had to take that stupid supplement, half dose of that ,50 mg, when my situation wasnt that bad. I met my friends, and was quite active and could even somehow enjoy from my fav tv-shows and so on although i suffered from anhedonia. Now i can barely able to think, im such a mess. I have suffered a little bit of tremor after my meds before but nothing like this. I almost can eat because i get very agitated in my body when i eat. I am 100 percent sure it was because of that supplement, I had survived to a pretty decent level where i didn´t suffer anymore so badly in my body. I have had similar effects than when quitting ssri:s when my nervous system was almost irritated, and i suffered from debilitating panic and anxiety and i had terrible insomnia. Why i didn´t considerate that i might be very sensitive with anything that has something to do with serotonin. Even Zyprexa although I think I didnt react to that medicine very well, didnt cause anything like this.

I am so mad at myself and can´t cope anymore, hopefully hospitalization isn´t ahead of me again if i cant stand anymore :( I have also read 5-htp can cause Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome. One man have wrote a book of him suffering from that after eating just two tryptophan capsules. I´m afraid cause he has similar symptoms with me. These supplements are dangerous!!

https://books.google.fi/books?id=ViMDAwAAQBAJ&pg=PR26&lpg=PR26&dq=tryptophan+induced+ems+book&source=bl&ots=KahKKXag9E&sig=BkUEx6paPPyH3P6CFRJJrcbTrLU&hl=fi&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiWsZK7j5LLAhVFKA8KHcGYDk4Q6AEIRDAD#v=onepage&q=tryptophan%20induced%20ems%20book&f=false

I'm so sorry about your experience with supplements.  We need to be very careful with what is considered NATURAL.  We're our own health advocates and we need to do research about what are we putting in our bodies.  If you interested to try something else, I'll suggest you'll do your research on saffron http://nutritionfacts.org/video/saffron-vs-prozac/This is a link of a video that will explain how this supplement works.  I've done my research for about 3 years and I started saffron a year ago.  In my oppinion, this is the safest mood supplement.  I started taking saffron a year ago and I was able to drop my prescription medication and stay exclusively in saffron.  Please don't give up, do your research, talk to your doctor and give it a try.  It worked for me and other people.  Good luck!

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I did a search of this forum but didn't see anything specific to this drug in the post titles, apologies if I'm duplicating something.

 

Any ideas for helping balance the CNS as lamotrigine is withdrawn?

 

I'm wary of very targeted/synthetic supplements and more interested in vitamins/minerals/omegas/gentle herbs etc that might be useful to take in high doses for a while to help in rebalancing the particular neurotransmitters affected here..

 

(As my signature notes, I take various common supplements along these lines but only the B vits are at 'high'/'mega' doses)

 

Thanks

Drug history: 2006-7 Citalopram quickly replaced by Cymbalta (6 month taper); 2008-2010 Mirtazapine (year taper and easy really) and 2008-2011 Lamotrigine (six month taper) - recovery.

'Relapse' 2012 (life and body stress + trauma surfacing) Mirtazapine, Lamotrigine back! then 2013 lowish dose Venlafaxine very reluctantly added in (briefly Lithium, idiot psychiatrist)

Recent tapers: Lamotrigine 300mg to 200mg one step Aug 2015 (Impulsive but fine); Venlafaxine 112.5mg to 75mg Oct 2015 (bump down the line but pulled it round)

Lamotrigine 200mg to 175mg mid-Jan 2016 (OK); to 150mg mid-Feb 2016, then...to 125mg end-Feb 2016 - stopped there after CNS complained/hit something, will return to Lamotrigine last.

####

Current taper - Venlafaxine (you're going to say too quickly...) - every two weeks since 13 April 2016: 75mg -> 60 mg (20%); 47.5 mg (21%); 37.5 mg (21%); 25 mg (33%); 15 mg (40%) (8 June 2016) -  PANIC STATIONS - 9/7 75 mg (4 days) ...13/7 37.5 mg (1 day).... 14/7 25 mg (3 days)... 17/7 75 mg (2 days). Acupuncture exacerbating (and back to gentle herbs).

####

Also taking: 125mg Lamotrigine; 45mg Mirtazapine

Supplements: B-complex; magnesium-calcium-zinc; Ester-vit C; fermented cod liver oil; 'gentle nourishing' non-centrally acting herbs from acupuncturist/herbalist.

Moods/states of mind unstable but meds helped only to a point this time & perhaps over-sensitised my system.When CNS adjusts/for whatever reason I feel better for reductions - clearer and more myself.

Psycho-somatic trauma processing, energy healing, acupuncture, herbs and supplements, diet and nature the way forward.

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  • Administrator

There are no specific supplements to aid or speed any kind of tapering. The key is to taper more gradually.

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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It is good you have found something that have made you better. :)  Happy for you!

 

I thought my CNS was in a good shape before trying 5-htp,  but it woke up the "sleeping" withdrawal monster.

 

Just because something is sold as a natural product, it can still have risks. The more i have read from 5-htp, I have thought why on earth did i want to put it to my body, CNS and brain. I found it out with a really big price.

2005-2009 Lexapro 10-20mg & Remeron 7,5mg: cold turkey

2010 tried Venlafaxine (month),

2011-2012 Seroquel 25mg (few months)

2014 6 days Cipro(antibiotics) adverse reaction

2011-2015 Lexapro 10-20mg (tapered off during 4 months) 

2015-2016 (all these drugs during 9 months during SSRI wd,did not tolerate most of them ) : tried Remeron, Temazepam. Reinstatement of Lexapro 3 months after stopping it: fail. Akathisia, insomnia. Zyprexa10mg, Sodium Valproate, Temazepam(20mg), Oxazepam 30-45 mgs. Switching meds: Seroquel 50-100mg, Oxazepam  30-45mg , Temazepam 20mg. Then back to Zyprexa 10mg, Temazepam20mg, doctor took me off Oxazepam fast. Then Zyprexa 20mg, Temazepam 20mg, melatonin10mg ( sometimes very rarely Valium 10 mg.) Zyprexa: cold turkey because 20 mg Zyprexa made akathisia intolerable after every dose. After it insomnia, 24/7 akathisia, adverse reactions to supplements.

2016 spring daily  Valium 15mg (for akathisia)>0mg (used for 4 months and during that time slowly tapered off), tried Betablockers (shortly), Temazepam 40 mg > 25 mg (tapered in 3 months)

2016 summer Temazepam 25 mg > 20 mg, melatonin 2,5 mg

2016 november Melatonin 0,5 mg, Temazepam 20 mg.  Started tapering again.

2022 july (microtapering) 3,0 mg Temazepam Supplements: Probiotics, magnesium oil occasionally, melatonin 0,5 mg

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  • 4 weeks later...

I was on antidepressants for 17 months.  For the first 10 of those months I was taking an SSRI called Luvox. For the next 5 months I took an SSRI called Paxil and I was back on Luvox for the next two months after that.  One side effect while taking these medications is that it makes your body much more sensitive to caffeine and this is because they increase the half life of caffeine in your body from 6 hours to anywhere between 30 and 50 hours.  I have always been sensitive to caffeine but was able to tolerate drinking 1-2 cups of coffee per day before taking any antidepressants.  When I started taking Luvox I became much more sensitive to caffeine.  Those 1-2 cups of coffee I was drinking suddenly felt like 5-6 cups.  When consuming this amount of caffeine on Luvox I would feel very wired after drinking it and not be able to sleep for nearly 24 hours.  When I finally would sleep I would sleep for 15-20 hours and feel absolutely terrible the next day and even for several days after that.  The experience was similar while taking Paxil with the exception that the effect caffeine had on my body was even greater on Paxil than on Luvox.

20 months ago, I stopped taking Luvox so I am completely off any antidepressants and all medications.  What I don't understand and what is very unusual is that I am still almost as sensitive to caffeine being off Luvox/Paxil as I was when I was taking Luvox/Paxil.  I want to note again that I could tolerate 1-2 cups of coffee per day with no problem before taking these antidepressants.  Before taking these antidepressants I could have 1-2 cups of coffee, sleep alright and have enough energy to function the next day and feel alright.

Now when I drink coffee I can get and stay asleep  and I don't feel as wired as I did when taking Paxil/Luvox but I still feel like garbage the next day.  The next day I feel very irritable and barely have enough energy to function.  If I have more than 2 cups of coffee in a day I feel like garbage for several days in a row; even if I don't have any more caffeine in the following days.  Something else that is different is if I consume too much caffeine, then I get a breakout of acne all over my chest, arms, shoulders and neck.  This never happened before taking Paxil/Luvox when I would consume a lot of caffeine.  Another important point is even if I give up caffeine for several weeks at a time I still feel like crap every day.  It is like it takes my body forever to recover to a normal state and I have yet to experience a full recovery back to my pre-antidepressant energy levels.

Another thing I have been experiencing is if I consume too much caffeine I start to experience a little bit of pain and sometimes swelling in the lymph nodes below my ears.  The same thing happens if I take any supplements.  I have tried to take low doses of magnesium and vitamin d and I just can't tolerate them.  I have only experienced these symptoms since I started taking Paxil/Luvox and I have been off these medications for 20 months.  Before taking Paxil/Luvox I could tolerate supplemnents with no problem and never had any pain/swelling in my lymph nodes when taking supplements or consuming caffeine.  

Basically, my body seems to have become much more sensitive since I started taking Luvox/Paxil and I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced the same symptoms that I have after no longer being on Luvox/Paxil.  I have tried researching on the internet if anyone else has experience these symptoms and just haven't been able to come across anyone that has had the same experience so I am making this forum post.

Took Luvox 100mg/day (extended release) from  03/2013 to 01/2014.  Took Paxil 10mg/day from 01/2014 to 06/2014.  Started Luvox again, 50mg/day (non-extended release), from 06/2014-07/2014.  This was the start of my taper process.  Took 25mg/day Luvox during 07/2014.  Took 12.5mg/day Luvox during 08/2014. I took these medications to primarily treat OCD with the secondary goal being to treat depression symptoms.  I wanted to stop Luvox in 01/2014 but could not because withdrawal symptoms made me sick.  My psychiatrist then prescribed me 10/mg of Paxil/day in 01/2014 to help me get off Luvox.  I stopped taking Paxil in 06/2014 and then switched back to Luvox because Paxil was making me too tired.  I continued to taper of Luvox until 08/2014 and was able to stop taking it at this time and only experienced mild nausea for a few days .  I now have problems tolerating caffeine, supplements and other medications.  This only started since I began taking antidepressants and I still have problems tolerating these things 20 months after being off of antidepressants.

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I haven't been on Luvox or Paxil, but I have been on a number of similar drugs. Many people on this forum as well as other withdrawal forums report being very, very sensitive to caffeine, sugar, supplements, stress, etc. during and well after their taper. 

 

My CNS is so acutely sensitive right now, that even sounds and smells effect me in ways they never did before. I came off of caffeine, sugar, and processed foods more than a year ago and that really helped me in my recovery. 

 

Your signature states you're 20 months off of AD's, which is great, but it sounds like your system is still a bit fragile and may need additional time to recover before you're able to handle caffeine. I plan on waiting a number of years before adding caffeine back in, but my drug use was extensive, so the damage may be a bit more severe. Hopefully you won't have to wait as long. 

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well I'm noticing a significant reduction in symptoms (Anxiety & Night time Cortisol Spikes) by using a combination of several Amino Acids.  The daytime anxiety is almost non-existent. And the Sleep disturbing Cortisol Spikes seem to be gone. Granted it's only been a week. But such is the LONGEST I've had in terms of windows.  And with NO sign of slowing down.

 

What made the change for me?

Tyrosine. Theanine. Tryptophan. & Taurine.  The first three are neurotransmitter precursors and Taurine appears to be instrumental in nerve growth regeneration.

 

What I think makes a difference: I take the Aminos separately. Not all together. The reason for this: apparently the Blood/Brain barrier is a significant hurdle for the aminos to cross. Yet there is a biological equivalent for the aminos to use to get across said barrier. BUT- there is a limited 'space' for them. Only so much can be done at one time, and apparently- some aminos get preference. I.E. Some Aminos have an e-ticket. So by separating my intake of same- they seem to be more effective.

1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15

Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84

Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. 

Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist.

 

My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health.

 

The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning.

 

 

 

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I hope you have found some relief from your anxiety and nervousness , I to am suffering large cortisol spikes and nervous anxiety all day long , just curious at what time of the day do you take the supplements you mention above

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

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Mornings. 

 

Taurine (500mg) 2x day with magnesium Citrate (100 mg).one in the morning upon arising, and one an hour before bed.

I then eat breakfast. Wait a half hour. Then take the Tyrosine (500 mg). Wait about an hour, then take the Tryptophan (500 mg) and then another hour and take the Theanine (500 mg). I take the Aminos on (more or less) an empty stomach with water.

It took me about 3 days before I noticed the full effect.  But for about 15 minutes the first day i became un-tense.

 

I'm also taking a battery of B-stress formula. Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc and Calcium 2x a day.

1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15

Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84

Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. 

Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist.

 

My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health.

 

The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning.

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I remember I got nice feeling, when I drink coffee, when I used Lexapro. I remember that before Lexapro I did not enjoy coffee so much(weird). I felt really motivated after drinking coffee, and was some kind of coffee addict. I could not live without my morning coffee.  I could easily drink a cup of coffee when I was at work late in the evening, and then go to sleep after work, and fall asleep easily and sleep well. My father is just like me then, he can even drink a cup of coffee in the evening before sleep. I also sometimes drank coffee late in the evening when I was studying. After quitting Lexapro, I tolerated coffee somehow, but now when I ended up to polydrugging, I cannot get any nice effects of coffee. It tastes okay, but I get nervous, and anxiety, not every time, but still, I use it really carefully. I drink coffee, but only one small cup sometimes and I cannot drink coffee in the evening at all. I remember when I drank one cup of coffee in the evening at work, when my sleeping problems had started after Lexapro, and I got my first panic attack (I haven´t got them in years) in the evening, and had difficulties to fall asleep the first time.. I have to be really careful, what I eat and drink and I have also gastrointestinal problems, that I did not have before.

 

I wish I would have found this site earlier, when I was withdrawing from Lexapro so I could have been extra careful.

 

Maybe I was not careful, because I had one time successfully quitted Lexapro, without any problems. I did not even taper! It is crazy and I was really stupid, when I was not scared about these dangerous meds. I was young and stupid. I only had withdrawal symptoms for 2 weeks(felt really bad, but in two weeks the symptoms went away), no sleeping problems.. I was not sensitive to anything and I seriously was not careful what I ate or drank or what supplements did I use.  I remember exercising a lot and eating healthy and I lost weight also. I loved exercise. When I think that time, maybe I had more mood-swings, and maybe if i would have tapered the medicine slowly, I would have not ended up to same drug, when I started to have increased anxiety. I don´t know... It is like russian roulette, when you quit SSRI:s or SNRI:s, you can quit cold turkey without any problems or without getting sensitive to anything, or everything can go really really wrong.  I did not even have any allergies ever in my life, but now I have to watch what I eat. 

2005-2009 Lexapro 10-20mg & Remeron 7,5mg: cold turkey

2010 tried Venlafaxine (month),

2011-2012 Seroquel 25mg (few months)

2014 6 days Cipro(antibiotics) adverse reaction

2011-2015 Lexapro 10-20mg (tapered off during 4 months) 

2015-2016 (all these drugs during 9 months during SSRI wd,did not tolerate most of them ) : tried Remeron, Temazepam. Reinstatement of Lexapro 3 months after stopping it: fail. Akathisia, insomnia. Zyprexa10mg, Sodium Valproate, Temazepam(20mg), Oxazepam 30-45 mgs. Switching meds: Seroquel 50-100mg, Oxazepam  30-45mg , Temazepam 20mg. Then back to Zyprexa 10mg, Temazepam20mg, doctor took me off Oxazepam fast. Then Zyprexa 20mg, Temazepam 20mg, melatonin10mg ( sometimes very rarely Valium 10 mg.) Zyprexa: cold turkey because 20 mg Zyprexa made akathisia intolerable after every dose. After it insomnia, 24/7 akathisia, adverse reactions to supplements.

2016 spring daily  Valium 15mg (for akathisia)>0mg (used for 4 months and during that time slowly tapered off), tried Betablockers (shortly), Temazepam 40 mg > 25 mg (tapered in 3 months)

2016 summer Temazepam 25 mg > 20 mg, melatonin 2,5 mg

2016 november Melatonin 0,5 mg, Temazepam 20 mg.  Started tapering again.

2022 july (microtapering) 3,0 mg Temazepam Supplements: Probiotics, magnesium oil occasionally, melatonin 0,5 mg

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Iodine (from Atlantic Kelp and Potasium Iodide) 225 mcg
Selenium 200 mcg

 

I've been taking iodine and selenium regularly since February. From the first day, I noticed the calmness iodine induced within an hour or so of ingestion. The anxiety I was suffering was often abated by iodine. The selenium was intended as balance.

 

I was taking this stuff every day, for three months. Maybe three weeks ago, I noticed clear side effects from something within a couple hours of taking my morning regimen: confusion, poor memory recall, struggled speech, feelings of being "disconnected" from my body, and slight dizziness.

 

I suspected iodine and stopped taking it a week ago. Since then, those side effects I described vanished, but my anxiety is slowly creeping back. My sleep, which had largely recovered over the course of several months, may be on the decline again.

Began in 1998 at 20mg/day. Dropped from 20 to 10mg/day around 2006. Dropped from 10 to 5mg/day in June of 2014. Dropped from 5 to 0mg/day in June of 2015. Rough times, indeed.

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I read that pumpkin seeds are a good source of vitamins and minerals including magnesium which I'm interested in . But i also read that they contain tryptophan which is converted into serotonin . I wonder if im doing wrong by eating them ?? Anyone ?

Xanax PRN ( 1/2 of .25mg approximately 2-3 a month when needed ) since May 2015

In April 2016 started birth control and in my opinion it triggered anxiety for almost a week straight and took 1/2 .25mg Xanax everyday for that week ( never had taken that many in a row before )

Saw the family MD and gave me Prozac 20 mg.

took it for 6 days and could not handle the side effects and had to stop working

Went back to the dr on the 7 day and told me to stop CT . I told him that I was scared to stop so suddenly so he gave me 10mg to take to see if the side effects decreased

Took the 10mg that night and the next day felt so much worse . After that did take anything any more except and antibiotic due to UTI

It's been almost 7 weeks and I have a lot of weakness ( comes and goes) anxiety , cortisol urges at night and worse in the morning which usually lessens throughout the day , tinnitus , heavy leg feeling , fatigue and burning skin mostly my left arm, face and neck mainly when I fee the cortisol surges .

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I read that pumpkin seeds are a good source of vitamins and minerals including magnesium which I'm interested in . But i also read that they contain tryptophan which is converted into serotonin . I wonder if im doing wrong by eating them ?? Anyone ?

About the only way to find out is to try them out.

 

Yes the body does convert tryptophan into serotonin, but serotonin is also converted into melatonin.  But the body will only convert it if it needs it. Serotonin is one of the body's 'feel good' neurotransmitters. Melatonin is the neurotransmitter that helps you fall asleep.

1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15

Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84

Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. 

Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist.

 

My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health.

 

The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning.

 

 

 

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Mornings. 

 

Taurine (500mg) 2x day with magnesium Citrate (100 mg).one in the morning upon arising, and one an hour before bed.

I then eat breakfast. Wait a half hour. Then take the Tyrosine (500 mg). Wait about an hour, then take the Tryptophan (500 mg) and then another hour and take the Theanine (500 mg). I take the Aminos on (more or less) an empty stomach with water.

It took me about 3 days before I noticed the full effect.  But for about 15 minutes the first day i became un-tense.

 

I'm also taking a battery of B-stress formula. Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc and Calcium 2x a day.

I've dropped the Tryptophan- it seemed to interfere with the other two.

 

All in all, it does seem to help out with the worst of the symptoms. It doesn't eliminate them entirely, but it makes them manageable.  It's nice to be able to function almost 'normal'.

1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15

Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84

Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. 

Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist.

 

My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health.

 

The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning.

 

 

 

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Good info thanks . I was a little scared to take it but I guess it's not a large amount anyway .

Xanax PRN ( 1/2 of .25mg approximately 2-3 a month when needed ) since May 2015

In April 2016 started birth control and in my opinion it triggered anxiety for almost a week straight and took 1/2 .25mg Xanax everyday for that week ( never had taken that many in a row before )

Saw the family MD and gave me Prozac 20 mg.

took it for 6 days and could not handle the side effects and had to stop working

Went back to the dr on the 7 day and told me to stop CT . I told him that I was scared to stop so suddenly so he gave me 10mg to take to see if the side effects decreased

Took the 10mg that night and the next day felt so much worse . After that did take anything any more except and antibiotic due to UTI

It's been almost 7 weeks and I have a lot of weakness ( comes and goes) anxiety , cortisol urges at night and worse in the morning which usually lessens throughout the day , tinnitus , heavy leg feeling , fatigue and burning skin mostly my left arm, face and neck mainly when I fee the cortisol surges .

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I've held off on taking tryptophan for a bit. It seems to make things worse if I take too much too often.

1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15

Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84

Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. 

Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist.

 

My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health.

 

The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning.

 

 

 

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5-HTP makes me angry, sweat a lot, and feel like crap in general. Not saying it will do this for others, but I'd be careful with it..

Past AD Experiences : (Fluvoxamine 3 years, D/C'd @ age 15).

Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it

~Terry Pratchett~

 

WITHDRAWAL REGIMEN/STORY

Originally for OCD, the luvox took about 6 months to taper off.

Withdrawal supplements; lemon balm, Vitamin B3, black water/fulvic acid, high-protein diet to restore neurotransmitters, aniracetam to counter memory issues, deprenyl for persisting anhedonia.

Regimen still maintained til this day. Lemon balm, generally as capsules, however, as I suffer chronic Insomnia, I often use essential oil or as aromatherapy before bed , in combination with magnesium and lysine on bad nights.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello to you all:

Can anyone comment on the safety of combining amino acids? I have located studies that indicate the effectiveness of combining l-lycine (2.6 grams) with l-arginine (2.6 grams) for anxiety and can verify that it works for me at least. For sleep, I have been adding l-tryptophan to this combo with good results. Would love to hear any thoughts/experience/research anyone is aware of regarding combining amino acids for anxiety and sleep issues.

 

Many thanks! 

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Hello to you all:

Can anyone comment on the safety of combining amino acids? I have located studies that indicate the effectiveness of combining l-lycine (2.6 grams) with l-arginine (2.6 grams) for anxiety and can verify that it works for me at least. For sleep, I have been adding l-tryptophan to this combo with good results. Would love to hear any thoughts/experience/research anyone is aware of regarding combining amino acids for anxiety and sleep issues.

 

Many thanks! 

As a matter of fact- yes.

 

For some time now I've been combining Taurine, Tyrosine, and Theanine. (For a bit there- I also included Tryptophan).  Of late the 3 "T's have been working fairly well for me in both the anxiety and the sleep issues. What really seems to have done me some good: Adding some Arginine.  Now of the above amounts I've been doing: Taurine 500 mg (2x day) Tyrosine 500 mg and Theanine 200 mg. I've started taking 500 mg Arginine twice a week. 

 

Such is quite an improvement.

1)Zoloft- 6/99 to 8/04 2)Escitalopram- 8/04 to 8/10 3)Citalopram 8/10 to 4/14 (C/T), 4)Paxil a week or so, 5)Wellbutrin a week or so, 6)Reinstated Citalopram- 9/14 to 7/15

Before Taper- Celexa/20 mg....Taper Start- 04/21/15- 15mg....05/26/15- 10 mg...06/22/15- 5 mg...07/18/15- 0mg. http://tinyurl.com/qjfoqe9 Ativan/Lorazepam use/taper 10/14 to 2/15- http://tinyurl.com/ljebp84

Baclofen- Intermittent use of from 2008 till 2014. Some use of Promethazine. Some use of Zofran. Clobetasol Propionate- for Lichen Planus. Some Flexeril use. 

Ativan- GABA,A receptor Agonist., Baclofen- GABA,B receptor Agonist., Celexa/Lexapro- Serotonin 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist., Zofran- Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonist..Promethazine- Histamine H1-Receptor Antagonist. Flexeril- Serotonin 5HT2a Antagonist.

 

My self imposed Amino Acid Therapy: Tyrosine 500mg 1xday, Theanine 200 mg 1xday, & Taurine 500 mg 2x day. (All neurotransitter pre-cursors)- seems to have helped me immensely. And of course- eating healthy, including Black Beans for the oligosaccharides for gut health.

 

The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the Art of Living. - Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning.

 

 

 

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  • 6 months later...

I know supplements have been discussed to no end on this site before, and for good reason, but I thought I'd share a few that have helped in my recovery. It's been stated before that regardless of anything that you take during wave periods your body will reject it and this I can 100% concur with! However, during windows of recovery, I find I can tolerate these supplements/foods which can help immensely:
1: probiotics
2: Fish (omega 3) but not in the form of pills or liquid, oddly enough. Salmon is the best. That is, wild caught!
3. Flax seed oil
4. Herbal teas
5. Turmeric
6. Low dose vitamin d i.e. 400 iu...anything more I have problems with for some reason
7. Vitamin c

 

2005: Began switching from one ssri to the next. Very little tapering time was instructed by my psychiatrist. Tried just about every drug on the market. Some two or three times. Nothing reallly helped my moderate depression and anxiety. They only made things worse most of the time!!

2014: Began experiencing severe symptoms while still taking Zoloft, oddly enough. Was forced to quit drugs altogether.

2017: A new year begins having experienced substantial improvement. Still not sure if my symptoms were severe protracted withdrawal or a severe reaction to a med, or possibly a combination of each.

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Thanks for sharing! I take Vit D. omega 3, probiotic and turmeric as well. Might add in some Vit. C. I think probiotics are key!

Celexa 10 mg ( approx 5 years), reduced to 5mg (approx 10 years). Prescribed for anxiety and panic. Started tapering July 2015-2.5 mg for a month, then 2.5 every other day. Kept tapering until October when I took my last crumb.  Almost 4 years drug free and WD symptoms are evolving constantly. Some improved, some new. 

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