misterZ Making progress but stalled out?

[misterZ]

Hi All,

This is my first post. I've been consistently on ADs in various combinations for 20 years. I got off everything about five years ago in a very difficult taper and stayed off for about three month until the stress and super- rapid cycling got the best of me and I started back on ending up at 300mg Wellbutrin XR, 300mg Lamictal and 900mg Neurontin. I have functioned, at least holding down a responsible job, taking care of a disabled parent, who died six months ago and a disabled sibling. But my personal life isn't good. All my relationships are tainted by my anxiety. Anyway,10 weeks ago I started to taper the Lamictal, 50mgs a week and it went smoothly, but when I got to zero, after a few days I started to feel really bad, fuzzy headed, anxious (sorry I can't better describe it). At that point I called my psychiatrist who said to go back up on the Lamictal, I immediately took 50mg and in a hour or so I felt okay.

 

Then I started going down on the Wellbutrin.  I went down to 150mg for a week and then as of three weeks ago 0.  That went pretty smoothly.

 

Now I've started to go down on the Neurontin.  I'm now at 400mg along with the 50mg Lamictal.  I'm really not doing too well.  I'm having a lot of trouble concentrating, lot's of anxiety.  I'm working but ducking anything too challenging to the extent possible.  I really want to get off everything, of course, but I'm not sure what to do next.  I wonder if I should go back up a little on the Neurontin and wait a while or try going down on the Lamictal again.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

I do recall that last time, I started down on the Neurontin first and that was hell.  This time I've followed the guidance here about doing down on the ADs first then the "sedatives" and it's been better. So, again, maybe go back up a little on the Neurontin and try to work on the Lamictal first?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[Rhiannon]

You are tapering at a very fast rate. I have never yet seen anyone with a multi-decade history on psych meds succeed at such a fast taper rate.  

 

In fact the only people I've seen do okay over the long term with that rate of taper are people who have been on only one med ever and weren't on it for very long and who have no prior history of going on and off any meds. 

 

Your brain has adapted to artifical chemical states now for 20 years. It's not realistic to expect it to be able to re-adapt to the absence of those chemical states in a short time. The only people I know who've successfully gotten off multiple meds with a history like yours have done so carefully over a period of years, which actually makes sense when you think about it.

 

Please read over the topics in Tapering beginning with the one about tapering at 10% or less at a time. In my experience people with a long-term history on psych drugs and multiple meds sometimes have to taper more slowly that that to succeed, but it's a good place to start. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

Once you've read through that, if you're still interested in sticking around for support and advice from this forum, please add your drug history to your sig line so people can give informed advice and understand the context of your posts.  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

I'm glad you found your way here and I hope you decide to stay and do this process safely.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, misterZ.

 

Second what Rhi said.

 

At this point, if I were you, I'd hold on all drug changes and let my nervous system settle down.

[misterZ]

Hi,

Thanks for your thoughts. I did hold in place for two weeks and stabilized. I have read the tapering topics but I am going to continue to go forward as I have been and see what happens. Today is a week with 0 lamictal and I feel a lot better today.  Tomorrow I'll try to go gown to 200 Neurontin.  I just feel like I've spent enough of my life in a fog.  It's been about 14 weeks and I'm at 20% of the meds I started on and continue to feel better. 

 

Z