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Infection as a Cause of Prolonged Withdrawal?


alexjuice

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I've had an idea about a factor in antidepressant withdrawal syndrome kicking around in my head for a while and I'd like to share it to see what you guys think. 
Is it conceivable that infection could explain why in some instances withdrawal syndrome can be very severe and lengthy while in other cases patients can stop the medication with less difficulty?
 

Perhaps antidepressants may work in some manner to control chronic infections, like my fungal or a viral infection, and that prolonged withdrawal symptoms are in fact the 'unmasking' of infectious symptoms. Or possibly noninfectious toxic syndromes. In such cases there would be very little evidence in typical bloodwork as the infections are not acute ... A stool test may show fungal and protozoal pathogens, but may not and a stool test won't show viruses...

 

One could expect insomnia and anxiety if this was the case. 

I've come across a number of studies showing the popular SSRIs to have significant antimicrobial actions including against fungi and very serious viruses like coxsackie... Here's a summation on aboutcomhttp://biotech.about.com/b/2012/07/30/antidepressants-zoloft-and-prozac-are-also-antimicrobials.htm 
Could prescription medications like antidepressants or PPIs make infection more likely? Why not? These medications likely weaken intestinal defenses.
 
I think I've realized that many of the symptoms I first encountered on decreasing my antidepressant where partly caused by a toxic reaction to mold metabolites called mycotoxins and also influenced by an illness I contracted with my father in another state. Sadly, it is impossible for me to know exactly what was causing what. I don't think that if hadn't been in the mold environment that I would have breezed off psych meds, withdrawal is a real thing by itself. However, I think it's very, very likely that infection and environmental toxicity played major roles in my disease. And I wonder if I am alone in this regard?
 
Alex
 
 
 

"Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast
I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past
But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free
I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me.

Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there
Everybody's got to move somewhere
Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow
Things should start to get interesting right about now."

- Zimmerman

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I think it's possible and I don't think you're alone...I also think these phenomena are multi-dimensional and can be teased apart from many different places due to the deeply holistic natures of our beings...the more I learn about my own process and watch others too, the more I see how many things are all happening at once...it gets to be rather mind-blowing really. 

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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