Claudius Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 I wrote already a lot in this forum and others, and like many I was totally unaware of what was ahead of me when I quit Seroxat. Even after repeated attempts to quit, the dime did not fell and in September 2007, still ignorant about WD and tapering, I quit for the final time from 10 mg just before going on a holiday to Italy. The holiday was about the best 2 weeks of my life, but one month after being home again the withdrawal hit me hard as ever. And that was the start of a long long road though Hell and beyond, in which I visited numerous therapists, lost my job, tens of thousands of bugs and felt like worse than the living dead for almost 2 years. But this is about succes stories... The good news is that recovery started in the second year off, albeit slowly and bumpy whit long and nasty waves for another couple of years . Now after more than 6.5 years off I feel pretty much close to healed. Many symptoms are gone completely, I feel mentally pretty stable (not to confuse with very happy because I still have many things to worry about in life), a pretty active social life and embared for a 80% job for the first time in Februatry this year. Unfortunately, my employer had to close their business recently so I have to hunt for a job again, but for many years this was really impossible. But I know that even further recovery will come and though it takes 7-8 years in total, we DO recover from this and we ARE able to built a new life. I will give an other update if even better news is available. 2 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted May 16, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 16, 2014 Thanks for telling us Claudius, it's so wonderful to hear! It's been a long hard climb for you, but here you are! I'm so happy to hear it. 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 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Jemima Posted May 16, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 16, 2014 Great good news, Claudius! I hope you find much satisfaction and happiness in your recovery. Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's RazorIntroduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/ Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 16, 2014 Administrator Share Posted May 16, 2014 Claudius! It's been such a long journey, so happy to hear you can say you're just about healed. Remember when this seemed impossible? 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 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted May 17, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 17, 2014 This is such good news Claudius and thank you for taking the time to write about your success. You are an inspiration and proof that recovery does happen, even if it takes several years. 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 Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinningThrough Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 That's wonderful news, Claudius. Thank you for posting this. The only way out is through. Aug 2013 - Augmentin leading to akathisia Sept-Nov 2013 - Citalopram 20mg, severe reaction, off at 5mg. Valium 4mg, prn Oct 2013 - 5 zopiclone tablets, 7.5mg End Nov 2013-end Feb 2014, Seroquel, top dose 150mg, off at 25mg End Nov 2013-early march 2014, Zoloft 100mg top dose, off at 25mg End Dec-2013-early April 2014, lorazepam 1mg prn April 3rd 2014 zoloft 5mg for a few days. 18/4/14 - zoloft, 1mg. Came off at 0.35 mg,14th June 2014 29 June 2014 - 1mg lorazepam, last ever 29 June 2014 - med free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nn123 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Hi Claudius, thanks for posting this. How would you describe the progression of your recovery over the past few years? Slow and steady? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Thak you for posting Claudius;I am happy for you, really. 4 years aprox. on 150mgs.Effexor for situational major depression.No AD before.Tapered 150-0mgs in 3 months. Tapered Quetiapine,Xanax in the last 18 months.NO med of any kind anymore.First 3 months off acute w/dProtracted w/d ever since.Symptoms:Anxiety,anhedonia,insomnia,tinnitus,PSSD 04/13/2014 Awful Relapse.Recovered fairly fast. 3 years and 4 months off. waves and windows.Very much recovered. November 2015,health issue.Setback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Thanks for your reactions. My progress over the last few years has been very slowly and still with the waves/windows pattern. I feel emotionally pretty strong now, see some future (for a long time I did only see a very dark and black future) and see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I say partial recovery, because the tinglings and electrical jolts are still there, but when they are on their low points, I feel able to funciton normally. So I still need more time (nobody knows how much more I guess) to feel healed completely. 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nn123 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Thanks for your reactions. My progress over the last few years has been very slowly and still with the waves/windows pattern. I feel emotionally pretty strong now, see some future (for a long time I did only see a very dark and black future) and see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I say partial recovery, because the tinglings and electrical jolts are still there, but when they are on their low points, I feel able to funciton normally. So I still need more time (nobody knows how much more I guess) to feel healed completely. I'm happy to hear you are feeling stronger. Do you feel you've passed the plateau phase you were concerned about in January? How would you compare the way you feel now to the way you felt two years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted May 20, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 20, 2014 Thank you for sharing this with us Claudius, I'm really happy for you and hope you will soon be completely recovered **I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge. Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem) 1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat 2002 effexor. Tapered March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads. Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013 Restarted taper Nov 2013 OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015 Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014 Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg July 2017 30mg. May 15 2018 25mg Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33 Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihadakathisia Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Hi Claudius, How are you feeling now? Wishing you the best, Adrian December 2015 One month Prozac at 10mg/day and every other day for MILD Anxiety ( What the hell??? No prior illness of any sort.) Horrible side effects. Finally Cold Turkey.May 2016 - Lamotrigine 0.5mg. Going up slowly. Sleep back to 8-9 hours normal (complete insomnia after Prozac).June 2016 - 2 weeks 2.5mg Diazepam for Akathisia. Then lowered to 0.6mg/day. Also Propranolol, Clonidine, occasional antihistamine, magnesium, B6 - for akathisia. Experiencing severe protracted withdrawal. Symptoms got worse and changed each month. Last symptom remaining - Severe Akathisia since May with (mostly) waves and (some) windows. (When worse: pacing, can't concentrate or even speak, difficulty eating, driving, getting out of the house, horrible pain, restlessness, headache, exhaustion) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 One update 4 years later! Can't believe this took so many years of my life, and finally I cane to a point that my horrible PAxil wd ride is something of the pasts now. I hardly read forums about the matter and have resumed my life. Though it was very hard ti find a job after being off regular work for about 8 years, I found a nice job in my former (ICT) area almost 2 years ago and I managed to keep it and even get good remarks. Still have some residual issues however, now more than 10 years after the last dose! I can handle overstimulation less well than before but it still improves albeit very slowly. And I hit my 50th year birthday recently and that has a hard impact on me. not having been able to start a family still bothers me a lot but that is not related to the WD but rather one of the reasons starting an SSRI... But I have a good social life and feel mentally stable. Anyway, I want to make clear that healing continues also after 5-6 years or more and I want to tell you I am doing fairly well and consider the WD experiience as history. All the best, Claudius 3 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadbrain Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Thank you. May God bless you. Btw u don't look 50. U look perhaps in your thirties😉 2008-seroxat,zoloft,olanzapine briefly for a few months. No effect no side effects. Jan 2014- July 2015 fluvoxamine and on and off lexotanil. July 2015 left fluvoxamine after tapering 100 to 75 to 50 to 25mg and then dropped to zero this was over a period of 9 months. Developed withdrawal sx after 2 months. October 2015- nov 2015- mirtazapine, buspirone, rivotril quit cold turkey reinstated rivotril then cold turkeyed reinstated mirtazapine(last drug I was on) and tapered in a week Jan2016. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Itzakadoozee Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 👍🏼 2005-2015 sertaline, 2015 to November 2018 escatalopram. Used liquid titration to drop doses. By 0.5mg at first then drops as small as 0.01mg at end of taper. Jumped of at 0.02mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 Looking good! Your update is very much appreciated! Best wishes and blessings, M. 200 Zoloft; 10 mg Zyprexa; 4 mg valium as of May 2021; Valium taper: July 16: 3.5 valium; July 30: 3 mg (paused valium taper); Aug. 23: 2.5 mg Zyprexa: July 26: 8.75 mg; Aug. 9: 7.5 mg; Aug. 30: 7.1 mg ------- Dec 1, 2016. 10 mg zyprexa for 1.5 month. Started taper mid-Jan. 2017. Cut 1.25 mg every 2 weeks; smaller cuts 2.5 mg down. Stopped at .6 mg. May 7, 2017: zyprexa free. Zoloft: Dec1, 2016, 200 mg. Started taper: Jun12, 2017: 197.5 mg; Jun19,:195 mg; July 2:185mg; July 9,:180 mg; July16,: 175; July 23: 170; July 30: 165; Aug6: 160; Aug13: 155; Aug. 20: 150; Aug.27: 146 mg; Sept3: 145 mg; Sept10:143 mg; Sept17:140 mg....Nov5: 122 mg...Dec3:112.5 mg; Jan14, 2018: 95 mg...Jan28: 90 mg; Feb21:80 mg; Mar11: 75 mg; May2:70 mg; May15: 68 mg; May28: 65 mg; Jun9: 62 mg;Jun25: 60 mg:July22: 55 mg; Aug25: 45 mg. Aug28: 50 mg...Oct 28: 38 mg; Dec.4: 30 mg; Jan8,2019: 25mg; Feb6: 23.5 mg; Apr1:17.5mg; May1:1 mg; May 5: 18; May 18:15mg; June 16:12.5mg; Sept 10:11 mg; Sept.16:10 mg; Oct. 1: 9mg; Nov. 27: 8mg; Dec.5: 7mg; Jan.1,2020, 6 mg; Feb1: 5 mg; May 1: 2.5 mg; Jn 1: 2 mg; Jy 1: 1.5 mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkmama Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Awesome!! so very happy for you!! did the mental issues take as long to clear up? All the best! Paxil 20mg from 1998-2011 Paxil 40mg from 2011-2012 while experiencing poopout October 2013 quit cold turkey Oct-mid Nov 2013 great window Late November WD nightmare Windows and waves pattern Now: 28 months cold turkey...doing decent learning to deal with the windows/waves pattern fighting it every step of the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share Posted February 4, 2018 On 1/30/2018 at 3:46 AM, coldturkmama said: Awesome!! so very happy for you!! did the mental issues take as long to clear up? All the best! No, the mental issues were horrific for the first 2 years or so but after that I started to become mentally more stable. I also followed therapy in those days, though this could not stop the WD induced racing and scary thoughts, it did help to come in terms woth my bullying past and some other old skeletons haning in my closet. From 2012 or so I was mentally healed though still felt an enormous hatred against Big Pharma and GSK in particular. I still detest those criminal organizations but do not think so much about the subject anymore... 2 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkmama Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 2 hours ago, Claudius said: No, the mental issues were horrific for the first 2 years or so but after that I started to become mentally more stable. I also followed therapy in those days, though this could not stop the WD induced racing and scary thoughts, it did help to come in terms woth my bullying past and some other old skeletons haning in my closet. From 2012 or so I was mentally healed though still felt an enormous hatred against Big Pharma and GSK in particular. I still detest those criminal organizations but do not think so much about the subject anymore... in total how many years did it take to say you are now healed from all of this? im on year 4...,ugh Paxil 20mg from 1998-2011 Paxil 40mg from 2011-2012 while experiencing poopout October 2013 quit cold turkey Oct-mid Nov 2013 great window Late November WD nightmare Windows and waves pattern Now: 28 months cold turkey...doing decent learning to deal with the windows/waves pattern fighting it every step of the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkmama Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 I just wasn’t sure from what I read, if it was 6.5 or 6.5 + more So glad you came through the other side! Paxil 20mg from 1998-2011 Paxil 40mg from 2011-2012 while experiencing poopout October 2013 quit cold turkey Oct-mid Nov 2013 great window Late November WD nightmare Windows and waves pattern Now: 28 months cold turkey...doing decent learning to deal with the windows/waves pattern fighting it every step of the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustangwoman Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 I'm so happy for you! Thank you for letting us know there is hope on the other side! zoloft 2004-08 tapered too fast(2 weeks) Luvox 5/08 100 mg 07/10 40mg via small reductions, 08/10 39mg, 09/10 38mg, 10/10 37mg, 11/10 36mg,2/11 35mg, 5/11 34mg, 8/11 33mg, 11/11 32mg, 01/12 31mg, 03/12 30mg, 4/12 29mg, 5/12 28 mg, 8/12 27 mg, 11/12 26 mg, 1/13 25 mg, 3/13 24 mg, 4/13 23 mg,6/13 22 mg, 7/13 21 mg, 8/13 20mg, 10/13 19 mg, 11/13 18 mg, 12/13 17 mg, 1/14 16 mg, 3/14 13 mg, 9/14 10.9 mg, 1/15 10 mg, 3/15 9 mg, 5/15 8 mg. 11/15 7.12 mg. 4/16 5 mg, 6/16 4.5 mg, 9/16 4.2 mg, 1/17 3.48 mg, 2/17 3.2 mg, 4/17 2.2 mg, 5/17 2.0 mg, 6/17 1.74 mg, 7/17 1.58 mg, 9/17 1.27 mg, 11/17 1.0 mg, 1/18 0.79 mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 On 2/4/2018 at 9:40 PM, coldturkmama said: I just wasn’t sure from what I read, if it was 6.5 or 6.5 + more So glad you came through the other side! At 6 years off I started to work for 80% but still had some pretty nasty residual issues. At 7 years off I felt better than at 6 years off and started hunting for work again. This was not easy and it was not before 2016 until I found my current job. I was 8 years off then. Currently 9 years off, still some minor residual issues but I am confident that even further healing is possible and I am able to lead a normal working life now. 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkmama Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 7 hours ago, Claudius said: At 6 years off I started to work for 80% but still had some pretty nasty residual issues. At 7 years off I felt better than at 6 years off and started hunting for work again. This was not easy and it was not before 2016 until I found my current job. I was 8 years off then. Currently 9 years off, still some minor residual issues but I am confident that even further healing is possible and I am able to lead a normal working life now. Thank you for that, it encourages me. Thankful for your testimony. Glad you are doing so well! Paxil 20mg from 1998-2011 Paxil 40mg from 2011-2012 while experiencing poopout October 2013 quit cold turkey Oct-mid Nov 2013 great window Late November WD nightmare Windows and waves pattern Now: 28 months cold turkey...doing decent learning to deal with the windows/waves pattern fighting it every step of the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganK Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Thank you so much Claudius! I Was needing this today. Only a year in and every time I feel like I’m improving the symptoms hit again. Just gotta keep going ✊🏻 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentor FarmGirlWorks Posted June 27, 2018 Mentor Share Posted June 27, 2018 On 2/4/2018 at 10:33 AM, Claudius said: From 2012 or so I was mentally healed though still felt an enormous hatred against Big Pharma and GSK in particular. I still detest those criminal organizations but do not think so much about the subject anymore... Thanks for coming back with your story. I look forward to the day that I don't want to sue Pfizer... Prozac | late 2004-mid-2005 | CT WD in a couple months, mostly emotional Sertraline 50-100mg | 11/2011-3/2014, 10/2014-3/2017 Sertraline fast taper March 2017, 4 weeks, OFF sertraline April 1, 2017 Quit alcohol May 20, 2017 Lifestyle changes: AA, kundalini yoga "If you've seen a monster, even if it's horrible, that's evidence of divinity." – Damien Echols Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted January 6, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 6, 2019 Hi there, The staff at SA are wondering how you are. We'd love to hear how you are doing now. Would you mind dropping by and giving an update? Thanks. CC * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fj929 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Would love to know as well. Paxil 10mg 2004-2011 7.5mg 4months 5mg. 4months 2.5mg.8 months no wd issues Dropped pax 4-10-12 5-9-12 started prozac to alleviate symptoms (no relief) 5-22-12 reinstated paxil 2.5mg 5-28-12 5mg pax (couldn't tolerate sides) 6-22-12 Pax 2.5 6-30-12 Pax O Cerebrolysin to help with wd at 29 months. Horrible decision much worse. Still suffering sever Brain fog, Confusion, slow thinking,And just feeling sick and weird (hard to explain),facial twitching, weakness, shaking and jerking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozon1 Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 I’d like to know too! All things considered I bet he’s doing well since he hasn’t come back and everything he has posted up until this point has been nothing but improvements! Example: 2018 - Started Effexor 37.5 in Janurary of 2018 2019 January, 2nd - Cold Turkeyed from Effexor for 3 days. Reinstated on the third day, then stabilized(It took 3 months to stabilize) 2019 June - I switched from Effexor instant release to Extended Release 37.5 for better tapering. I tapered to 50% in 4 weeks before reinstating my dosage back to 37.5(due to withdrawls). I waited 2 months to stabilize but never did at 37.5 2019 September - continued to taper in to 25% on extended release 2019 October - continued to taper to half of the beads(18.75mg)... WIthdrawls were so bad I tried switching back to the instant release at the same dosage(18.75mg) 2019 November 28th - Discontinued effexor at 18.75 without anymore tapering. 2020 January - Just can't sleep, have constipation, low libido and still lack of full emotion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 Hi all, I logged in for one more time today after my last post now more than 2 years ago already! I am still doing pretty well. Now working for 4 years in my current job. There are still some residual issues which I did not have before my horrific almost cold turkey withdrawal. Also I still have to cope with the ongoing medical ignorance and my two elder sisters who still think my whole experience with Paxil/Seroxat is nonsense... and still sometimes sugggrest I should see a psychiatrist... I completely avoid the subject now in my sparse contacts with them. Luckily my 83 years old mum has been of great support , knows my story well and is so happy to see me function normally again. Also my current GP takes my story seriously. But my heart breaks when I still read recent stories here from doctors who still insist that WD does not exist and poeple need this stuff for life. So in short, I have my life back at least for the largest part. Now 12 years after the last dose I wonder if even further healing will take place but nothing is impossible I think I am pleased to see this site still exist after sites like PP and others have closed long ago. Hang on everybody and good to read that more and mroe people are aware of the need to taper extpremely slowly. I still wonder how things would have been if I would have known that 14 years ago. But I am still here and did eventuelly largely recover from a gruesom cold tuerkey withdrawal which makes me formly belief that recovery is in the end possible for even the worst cases. 2 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentor FarmGirlWorks Posted July 13, 2020 Mentor Share Posted July 13, 2020 @Claudius: I read your story many, many times while in the thick of my own gruesome near cold turkey WD. Thank you for the update on where you are now which sounds pretty good, all horrors considered. Prozac | late 2004-mid-2005 | CT WD in a couple months, mostly emotional Sertraline 50-100mg | 11/2011-3/2014, 10/2014-3/2017 Sertraline fast taper March 2017, 4 weeks, OFF sertraline April 1, 2017 Quit alcohol May 20, 2017 Lifestyle changes: AA, kundalini yoga "If you've seen a monster, even if it's horrible, that's evidence of divinity." – Damien Echols Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyssa143 Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 @Claudius so greatful to see your update! I’ve read your story many times as well. I’m curious as to what are your residual effects? I hope nothing serious? I hope your doing pretty well and consider Withdrawl an after thought. I also hope the bad mental stuff is Atleast gone and your able to enjoy your life. 13 months on 25 mg of sertraline. Fast taper in march 2018, reinstated 12.5mg Cold turkey sertraline april 17,2018 Zyprexa 5mg april 17,2018 Zyprexa taper to lamictal May 4-13 (life threatening rash) Back on zyprexa 5mg for 10days & tapered over 5 weeks. 21 months off sertraline 19 months off zyprexa 22 months into withdrawl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted July 14, 2020 Author Share Posted July 14, 2020 Thanks Elyssa, my residual issues are mainiy some tinglings and mild neurological problems. Not unbearable but still sometimes pretty nasty. I do not have the energy anymore I had before. But with so many lives ruined by Seroxat, I am grateful to be functioning normally again, having a job and a social life. Indeed the whole experince becomes more a thing of the past now altough it is something I will never forget or forgive the people responsible. 1 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyssa143 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 @Claudius I can definitely understand and I’m very sorry you had to go through this it’s absolutely awful. This is my second withdrawal and only after one year of low dose Zoloft both time short stints obviously I’m extremely sensitive. I’m 28 months into withdrawal was poly drugged at the beginning. 2 years completely med free, still deal with depression, anhedonia, si, si intrusive thoughts, inner akasthia and dread. It feels like this is permanent and I’ll never be ok again it’s been horrific hell. I just hope I continue to improve and the mental stuff goes away it’s very hard to live like this. Hugs to you: I’m glad your so much better but I understand the frustration at not being how you were before and dealing with those things too. I hope they continue to improve for you. Thank you for taking the time to respond 13 months on 25 mg of sertraline. Fast taper in march 2018, reinstated 12.5mg Cold turkey sertraline april 17,2018 Zyprexa 5mg april 17,2018 Zyprexa taper to lamictal May 4-13 (life threatening rash) Back on zyprexa 5mg for 10days & tapered over 5 weeks. 21 months off sertraline 19 months off zyprexa 22 months into withdrawl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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