Babydust Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Hi! I'm Paige. I first started on antidepressants 8 years ago. At the time my husband and I had been struggling with infertility for seven years. I was first put on lexapro but I had a rare side effect called yawning orgasm syndrome. I know it sounds fun but not really, lol. Then I went on Paxil. While on Paxil I tried to stop cold turkey. I was on clomid at the time (a fertility drug) so when my husband called an ambulance to take me to the ER they assumed I was having a bad reaction to the clomid. I've never been so scared in my life. It is hard to describe. Well, it was at the time but now I know I was having severe withdrawal symptoms. I was then put on Zoloft because I was getting ready to do a round of IVF (in vitro aka "test tube" baby but please don't call it that!) and Zoloft is the "safest" during pregnancy and nursing. I had a daughter and two years later twin boys (yeah!!). During this time my dosage slowly crept up to 200mg. In the summer of 2012 I tried to wean myself off. I love my life and felt my "reason" for being depressed had passed. Plus I'd taken up meditation and done a lot of counseling so I had more coping mechanisms. 2 months later my mom found me lying in bed nearly catatonic while my precious babies ran wild and naked around the house. I hadn't told anyone I was weaning (duh). The consensus was I'm just a depressive person and I'd be on meds for the rest of my life. Is that possible? I'm a VERY upbeat, positive person. It just doesn't feel right that I need a medication to be me. Anyway, I want to try again - smarter this time and I'M SCARED OUT OF MY MIND! I have three little kids that need me. Sometimes I feel like I need to stay on Zoloft until they're grown so as not to ruin their lives. Does that make sense? I want to do right by the kids I waited so long for. I also think I might be at the extreme end of severity for withdrawal. It is part of my daily life that I get "brain zaps" and tingling fingers and lips. This tells me it is time to take my meds. This scares me since that is my body on a steady stream of the drug. In the past, when I've mentioned this to doctors they've upped my dose so this time I've just went with it. Has anyone had that experience? I have a Xanax prescription that I take maybe once a month when needed. I also take Imitrex as needed for migraine - about 3 times a month. TMI alert but my depression symptoms are significantly worse during my period. Like, nearly debilitating apathy for 48 hours every month. My kids know that mommy doesn't feel well and we are lazy on those days. I think that's it about me. I'm afraid to start but even more afraid to have this drug altering my brain forever. Currently on 200mg of Zoloft and wanting OFF! Link to comment
Babydust Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 I have to throw in another quick question. Is it worthwhile to switch to a longer half life drug like Prozac and then wean off of that? Currently on 200mg of Zoloft and wanting OFF! Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted April 12, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 12, 2014 Hi Paige, Welcome and thank you for sharing your story. I'm so glad you managed to have the family you wanted and I can understand your concern about wanting to do the best for your kids. From reading through your introduction, I get the feeling that Zoloft isn't actually helping all that much, but that your previous attempt at withdrawal caused debilitating withdrawal symptoms. Zoloft was the first anti-depressant I took, I was put on it for anxiety, it actually caused depression in me. We generally recommend tapering by no more than 10% every month, this way, withdrawal symptoms can be kept to a minimum and the nervous system is supported as the drug is slowly reduced. Here are some tips for safely tapering off Zoloft: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1441-tips-for-tapering-off-zoloft-sertraline/?hl=zoloft Unless there are specific reasons to do otherwise, its best to taper off the drug your are already on, rather than switch over to a different one. Its very important to take your medication at the same time each day, if you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms daily before you take it, its even more important. I'm actually a little concerned about this and am wondering if its a factor to be considered. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in about this. Petu. 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 Link to comment
Administrator Karma Posted April 12, 2014 Administrator Share Posted April 12, 2014 Hi Paige I understand your fear about trying to come off of Zoloft and the possible reactions. What we have found here in this community is that if you do a slow enough taper and monitor your body's reaction to the changes you make, you can manage a taper off of these drugs with little discomfort. Please read through the link that Petu provided and let us know what questions you have. Welcome to our community. Karma 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment
sunnydays0912 Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I want to give you a big hug, because we are very similar! I too have very young kids and have been medicated the entire time being a mom (started when I had pretty severe baby blues and PPA after my first baby, but medication only made things worse before seeming to fix the problems it caused and now have struggled getting off ever since). My first concern is my kids and being able to function and care for them, as well as feel all the love I know I have for them. So this process has been a very scary up and down roller coaster for me before finally deciding to taper slowly, which I just started. Read my sig and you will get the gist of what I've been through. I DO NOT recommend switching to Prozac. I did this. At the time, my Lexapro had violently pooped out and was causing me horribly painful adverse depression and pain, and despite being told by this form to taper straight from Lexapro, I couldn't handle the condition I was in so I bridged to Prozac. And though after a few weeks I was able to finally stabilize and function again, I still had WD symptoms once I finally took my last bit of Lexapo. It was pretty bad for a couple weeks, but I did stabilize for the most part. However, I now wonder if the WD from Lexapro is over or if it's just at bay for now since I now know WD can come in a different phase months after seeming to recover. Anyway, because you are experiencing daily WD just from not taking your dose exactly when your body needs, that's telling me your nervous system is really unstable right now. I can be completely wrong since I am still such a novice at this, but I get a strong gut feeling your nervous system will not react well to a med switch. Alto will definitely be here soon to give you a much more experienced and educated prognosis! But I want to offer hugs and I know how you feel!! -Lexapro (5 or 10mg, can't remember) 2 years age 17-19 for "light social anxiety" ended late 2006. No issues coming off. - 2008 Effexor XR 75mg after health induced Panic Attack. 21yo. Upon first dose extreme adverse reaction (sadness, crying spells, extreme physical agitation/anxiety) did eventually stabilize. Stayed on 3 months then tapered off very fast but no issue WDing. Lexapro 20mg 6/2009 - 2/2014 due to PPD and unsuccessful WD attempts. -Sep. 2013 stable and still doing fine on Lexapro but lost insurance so Dr CT switch from Lex 20mg to Celexa 40mg (supposed equivalent) claiming it's the "same drug just cheaper". My body didn't like the switch almost instantly, and I felt acute WD from Lex within days of the switch. Was unaware it was WD and adverse affect from the switch. Gave it 2 weeks to settle and stabilize. By end of 2 weeks I was falling completely apart mentally and emotionally. Pharmacist said I could switch back to Lexapro 20mg safely. Again, "it's the same drug" -Oct. 2.5 weeks after med switch, switched back to Lexapro 20mg thinking everything would go back to normal. Woke up next morning to instant cortisol overload anxiety, physical and mental agitation to extreme levels, could not think, feel, do anything normally. Akathisia. Knew it had to be some kind of adverse reaction to the switch, but had no idea what to do other than continue taking it and hoping to stabilize. Proceeded to experience the worst 3-4 weeks of my life before finally stabilizing slowly. -Nov. despite stabilizing for the most part, could feel something wasn't right, was not returning to old self, had moments of emotional amnesia with things I love most. Life stressor occurred and I crashed. Total poop-out in a moment and instant panic and adverse effects, depression, anxiety, mental exhaustion, physical fatigue. Saw a GP who told me Lex was struggling to handle stress in life, needed to augment with Seroquel 25mg. Energy began to return, but depression worsened, began having suicidal mood swings, feelings like life was unbearable. -December found SA and began Seroquel taper after taking it for a month. Felt signs of relief after just few days. -Jan. 15th 2014 took last seroquel and began Prozac bridge. Complete Feb. 25th. Felt a couple weeks of WD from Lex, but otherwise stabilized. -April 9th began 10% Homemade liquid Prozac taper. 40mg down to 36mg. -Aug. 5th now down to 27.5mg. Feeling better than I did at 40mg. Link to comment
Babydust Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Thank you all so much. I'm so relieved to be able to talk about this and not just carry it around in my head. And sunnydays, I'm so happy to meet another mother going through this. So, no on the Prozac. What about Xanax? I take it infrequently so I don't think I'm dependent on it. Should/can I use it if WD symptoms get too bad or should I try to refrain during my taper? About the taper, if I get WD symptoms is that to be expected to some degree or does it mean 10% was too much? Finally (for now!) what can I do to prepare myself for starting the taper? Like take magnesium, omega3 for a month before tapering? Oh one more. I fear I might over eat as a coping mechanism. Should I worry about that or just go with it until I can rid myself of this addiction? I don't want to add the stress of "dieting" ya know? I eat a nutritious diet but like my sweets too. Is there any info on sugar intake and depression and/or WD? Thanks so much for giving a lifeline to this invisible addiction. Currently on 200mg of Zoloft and wanting OFF! Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted April 13, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 13, 2014 Okay, first, yes, you can taper off the Zoloft and not have to wait till your kids are grown. You're just going to have to do it much more slowly than anyone has ever told you; plan on taking a couple of years, maybe longer. Second, it sounds like you may be getting some interdose withdrawal symptoms (symptoms due to your blood levels dropping before the next dose is due). Upping your dose won't help with that; dividing it and taking it twice a day instead of just once may help, usually does. You might be able to get a prescription for 100 mg tablets and take two a day. This could be useful for tapering as well. Third, about switching to Prozac, I think we may have a topic on that, probably in the Tapering section. Do a search either in the forum search box or on Google (Google "Surviving Antidepressants Prozac bridge" or something like that) and see what you can find. There has been extensive discussion of the topic, pros and cons, and some people have done well with it and others regret it, so please read through all the info you can find before making a decision for yourself. Be very very very VERY careful with Xanax. It's highly addictive, and benzos can cause withdrawal problems every bit as bad as SSRIs or worse. If you don't take it more than once a week (or twice at the most and not the same or consecutive days) you will probably be okay, but in withdrawal nothing is straightforward. People can have problems with benzos (and other things) in spite of cautious use. I wouldn't plan to count on Xanax as a helper in withdrawal, or plan a strategy depending on it; it's much better to just taper so slowly that you don't need it. That said, it probably hasn't hurt you so far. As far as whether and how much you will get withdrawal symptoms, that depends very much on your own body (which you'll just have to find out by experience) and how slowly you go (how small the cuts and how long you wait between them). I think everyone, even on the most conservative taper, experiences at least some mild withdrawal symptoms, but if you listen to your body and proceed cautiously, you can really keep them tolerable and minimal, and be able to keep up with your life. It's a learning curve and I think in the process of learning and experimenting everyone at some point cuts too much or too fast and pays the price, but as long as you approach it with caution, even those bad spells will be limited in intensity and duration and you'll be able to function. (And then you'll know not to do THAT again!) Given your responsibilities I would say start with a 5% cut rather than 10%. If you find you can tolerate larger cuts it's better to work your way up to them, than to cut too much up front and crash and burn. Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010. Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea. Feb 15 2010: 300 mg Neurontin 200 Lamictal 10 Celexa 0.65 Xanax and 5 mg Ambien Feb 10 2014: 62 Lamictal 1.1 Celexa 0.135 Xanax 1.8 Valium Feb 10 2015: 50 Lamictal 0.875 Celexa 0.11 Xanax 1.5 Valium Feb 15 2016: 47.5 Lamictal 0.75 Celexa 0.0875 Xanax 1.42 Valium 2/12/20 12 0.045 0.007 1 May 2021 7 0.01 0.0037 1 Feb 2022 6 0!!! 0.00167 0.98 2.5 mg Ambien Oct 2022 4.5 mg Lamictal (off Celexa, off Xanax) 0.95 Valium Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion. Link to comment
Administrator Karma Posted April 13, 2014 Administrator Share Posted April 13, 2014 Hi Babydust (I just love your pseudonym) Rhi gave you excellent advice. Starting magnesium and omega 3 prior to beginning your taper is a good idea. You might also look at your diet and try to make sure it is well-balanced - more green vegetables is always a good idea - think of eating a rainbow of vegetables and fruits. If you can minimize your use of refined sugar you will benefit from it. Look for evaporated cane-juice (Florida Crystals) or stevia as a sweetener and try to avoid high fructose corn syrup, but don't deprive yourself. If you aren't using a probiotic, you might also look at adding one. I have had weight problems in the past and can relate to not wanting it to get out of control. I wouldn't worry about dieting when starting out on this journey, but the fact that you know you may use food to "self-medicate" can be used as a signal that you aren't quite stable. What you might find helpful is to begin monitoring your symptoms now, before you start your taper, to get your baseline. Here is a thread about this topic: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1779-rate-symptoms-daily-to-catch-withdrawal-early/ Be kind to yourself and use this community as part of your support network. Karma 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment
Babydust Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 Oh a checklist! My librarian-brain will appreciate that. Do you know the term babydust? It is like "break a leg" is for actors but for infertile folk. We say babydust for good luck. I blog at babydustdiaries.com which is a big part of what got me through the dark years with infertility. I think I need to share my WD journey too. It seems to help me process. Currently on 200mg of Zoloft and wanting OFF! Link to comment
Babydust Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 For the past three days I've been horrible. I've had nausea and headaches and flat affect with difficulty concentrating. I haven't begun to taper my Zoloft but I did stop taking my birth control last week. Since I took the birth control for period regulation and mood (not pregnancy prevention because: infertile) I'm thinking the drop in hormones caused this. Does that sound possible? Should I get back on the birth control? And if so how long will I need to wait to stabilize before I begin tapering off the Zoloft? Thanks for the advice I'm kinda freaking out! Currently on 200mg of Zoloft and wanting OFF! Link to comment
sunnydays0912 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Hi Babydust! As a fellow hormonal woman, I certainly can imagine stopping BC could be the cause. Especially since you've not changed anything else. I chose to go off BC a few months ago because during recovery I don't want any hormones in my body that could cause problems. I felt pretty emotional for a bit afterwords, but adjusted. I'm no expert so I won't offer advice, but I hope you don't have to go back on it because I think our bodies need to be in as natural a state as possible right now. -Lexapro (5 or 10mg, can't remember) 2 years age 17-19 for "light social anxiety" ended late 2006. No issues coming off. - 2008 Effexor XR 75mg after health induced Panic Attack. 21yo. Upon first dose extreme adverse reaction (sadness, crying spells, extreme physical agitation/anxiety) did eventually stabilize. Stayed on 3 months then tapered off very fast but no issue WDing. Lexapro 20mg 6/2009 - 2/2014 due to PPD and unsuccessful WD attempts. -Sep. 2013 stable and still doing fine on Lexapro but lost insurance so Dr CT switch from Lex 20mg to Celexa 40mg (supposed equivalent) claiming it's the "same drug just cheaper". My body didn't like the switch almost instantly, and I felt acute WD from Lex within days of the switch. Was unaware it was WD and adverse affect from the switch. Gave it 2 weeks to settle and stabilize. By end of 2 weeks I was falling completely apart mentally and emotionally. Pharmacist said I could switch back to Lexapro 20mg safely. Again, "it's the same drug" -Oct. 2.5 weeks after med switch, switched back to Lexapro 20mg thinking everything would go back to normal. Woke up next morning to instant cortisol overload anxiety, physical and mental agitation to extreme levels, could not think, feel, do anything normally. Akathisia. Knew it had to be some kind of adverse reaction to the switch, but had no idea what to do other than continue taking it and hoping to stabilize. Proceeded to experience the worst 3-4 weeks of my life before finally stabilizing slowly. -Nov. despite stabilizing for the most part, could feel something wasn't right, was not returning to old self, had moments of emotional amnesia with things I love most. Life stressor occurred and I crashed. Total poop-out in a moment and instant panic and adverse effects, depression, anxiety, mental exhaustion, physical fatigue. Saw a GP who told me Lex was struggling to handle stress in life, needed to augment with Seroquel 25mg. Energy began to return, but depression worsened, began having suicidal mood swings, feelings like life was unbearable. -December found SA and began Seroquel taper after taking it for a month. Felt signs of relief after just few days. -Jan. 15th 2014 took last seroquel and began Prozac bridge. Complete Feb. 25th. Felt a couple weeks of WD from Lex, but otherwise stabilized. -April 9th began 10% Homemade liquid Prozac taper. 40mg down to 36mg. -Aug. 5th now down to 27.5mg. Feeling better than I did at 40mg. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted April 16, 2014 Administrator Share Posted April 16, 2014 Did you have any adverse effects from the birth control pills? 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. Link to comment
Babydust Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 No. In fact it did help my mood I thought. I'd only been on them for 4 months but I tend to suffer from extreme pms depressed mood anf irritability. Currently on 200mg of Zoloft and wanting OFF! Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted April 17, 2014 Administrator Share Posted April 17, 2014 Yes, going off the birth control pills probably caused a shift in your hormone balance, that's responsible for your symptoms. If you had cyclical problems before, you'll probably get them again. If I were you, I'd start addressing potential dietary deficiencies that might be adding to your symptom pattern. Many people do better with fish oil and magnesium supplements, seehttp://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/ Are you taking a stomach acid blocker by any chance? 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. Link to comment
Babydust Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 I just started magnesium and fish oil. I do take omeprazole. Does that effect mood? My diet and exercise are sorely lacking right now but with warmer weather I hope to get out more. I also take vitamin d because I've been deficient in the past ( and I'm pasty white and live in ohio!) Currently on 200mg of Zoloft and wanting OFF! Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted April 18, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 18, 2014 Okay, Alto (or should I say Dumbledore), I give up, how did you know about the PPI? Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010. Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea. Feb 15 2010: 300 mg Neurontin 200 Lamictal 10 Celexa 0.65 Xanax and 5 mg Ambien Feb 10 2014: 62 Lamictal 1.1 Celexa 0.135 Xanax 1.8 Valium Feb 10 2015: 50 Lamictal 0.875 Celexa 0.11 Xanax 1.5 Valium Feb 15 2016: 47.5 Lamictal 0.75 Celexa 0.0875 Xanax 1.42 Valium 2/12/20 12 0.045 0.007 1 May 2021 7 0.01 0.0037 1 Feb 2022 6 0!!! 0.00167 0.98 2.5 mg Ambien Oct 2022 4.5 mg Lamictal (off Celexa, off Xanax) 0.95 Valium Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted April 18, 2014 Administrator Share Posted April 18, 2014 LOL, Rhi, so many people are taking them, and they don't even think of them as drugs. Babydust, PPIs block the absorption of important vitamins, particularly B vitamins, and particularly vitamin B12. You gradually use up all your stored B12. Low B12 causes a lot of neurological symptoms. The PPIs are terrible for general health. If you don't have very severe GERD -- and very few people do -- I would taper off omeprazole. See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4361-tips-for-tapering-off-stomach-acid-blockers-esomeprazole-lansoprazole-omeprazole/ 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. Link to comment
Babydust Posted April 19, 2014 Author Share Posted April 19, 2014 Thanks! So I should taper the omeprazole then the Zoloft then the birth control? Currently on 200mg of Zoloft and wanting OFF! Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted April 19, 2014 Administrator Share Posted April 19, 2014 I don't know about the birth control. I would taper the PPI first, yes. 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. Link to comment
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