Jump to content
SurvivingAntidepressants.org is temporarily closed to new registrations until 1 April ×

Ignacio


Ignacio

Recommended Posts

can the withdrawal be causing in me that I get aroused by nearly anything?

I´m in a really dark place right now... :(  :o  :(

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment
  • Replies 106
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Ignacio

    45

  • Altostrata

    28

  • Rhiannon

    7

  • Petunia

    6

Top Posters In This Topic

Recently I searched for the term gay in the search bar because I am having a quite unique symptom.

 

I read a post were alto puts a link into a study which said that mice after leaving fluoxetine had extreme horniness becomming gay and bisexual after antidepressants. 

 

This explains something that I have experienced recently, I´ve had periods of 2 or 3 days were I become extremely horny and am able to masturbate to anything, its the first time I´ve masturbated to gay videos. I´m okay with it as I don´t see it as my sexuality just as a way to stop my horniness. Alto, do you know anyone that has gone through this? Normally I settle down to my usual sexuality but it impressive.
 

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment

Why did you masturbate to gay videos having the possibility to masturbate to straight ones if you are straight?? I mean, if you were extremely horny and you could masturbate to anything, then the normal thing would have masturbated to a normal straight video and that's it,,, I just don't get why you masturbated to a gay video because you were too horny.

 

Can you explain please?

 

I have had some moments in which I was scared of having become gay, because now I am basically asexual (pssd) and the idea of becoming gay scares me a lot.

About me ------------------------ College student with a history of anxiety, excessive worrying and health anxiety.

April 2014 - May 2015----------    Prozac 20mg On and Off.  Second time on it I developed apathy, changes in personality, asexuality.

May 2015  -   July 2015-----------------  Tappering off prozac. Still no feelings,anhedonia, apathy, no libido, asexuality.

Current symptoms--------  pssd (asexuality in my case). Anxiety and depression developed some months afer stopping prozac, could have been caused by obsessing and beating myself up too much when I found myself unable to like girls again. The best thing to do with pssd (which in my case is asexuality) is accept it and move on.

Link to comment

I have experienced something similar in withdrawal. For a long time I would occasionally get short periods (a few hours) where my sexual desires were altered significantly and I was searching for weird porn etc. that never would have done anything for me before. For me, often what would happen is that I would go to sleep and then randomly wake up after about 45 mins with my mind racing and feeling this weird horniness. I don't tend to get it any more unless I'm going through a really bad period when lots of symptoms come back then I can get it a little.

 

I remember a guy on paxilprogress who also reported the same thing. He said that when he took the drug it turned him gay but at the time he just thought it was a natural change in his sexuality. It was only a while later he stopped the drug and his sexual desires went back to being about women. He actually said that he preferred sex with men and choose to go back on the drug in order to get the effect again.

 

I also found a woman on reddit who reported that after her boyfriend started SSRIs he told her he thinks he might be gay. She said he was still attracted to women but was also turned on by penises. I suggested that it might be the drug but I never heard anything back from her.

 

Lastly, I remember there was a guy who got put on a drug for parkinsons that messed about with dopamine and he started seeing gay prostitutes, gambling and being very impulsive. He ended up successful suing the manufacturer. You might be able to find a news article about it.

 

I think it will be difficult for you to find many other people talking about this. It's probably quite rare, but also it is something that is quite embarrassing to talk about. Also, I remember when I first posted about it on paxilprogress many people there were extremely sceptical that a drug could cause this effect. People tend to believe that you just have trouble accepting your own sexuality and so you are blaming it on the drug rather than accepting it. Of course since you have experienced this first hand you know that's not the case. Hopefully these stories at least let you know that there are others out there who have experienced the same thing.

December 2010: 10mg Citalopram

April 2011: 5mg for 2 weeks then cold turkey withdrawal - Extremely bad depression / no emotions

June 2011: Reinstated 10mg - After 3 weeks started getting impulsive suicidal thoughts

July 2011: Cold turkey - Withdrawal hell begins...

 

January 2021: Reinstated 0.1mg Citalopram as last resort

February 2021: 0.2mg Citalopram for 2 days had bad foggy head so went back down to 0.1mg

Upon reducing I experienced low mood, suicidal thoughts, burning up, low appetite, very bad insomnia, mild diarrhoea

22 Feb 2021: Stopped all Citalopram after panic / depression attack and crying similar to when I reinstated back in June 2011.

 

4 April 2022: Reinstated 0.1mg Citalopram - Anxiety + foggy head

5 April 2022: Stopped Citalopram - More lasting damage...

Link to comment
  • Administrator

You can masturbate to anything. Basically, monkeys like to watch other monkeys having sex.

 

I would not worry about "becoming gay" from drug effects. If you want to be gay, be gay. If you don't, don't. Your private thoughts are not anyone else's business.

 

Do not worry about your heterosexuality and add useless anxieties to your problems.

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
  • Administrator

You can masturbate to anything. Basically, monkeys like to watch other monkeys having sex.

 

I would not worry about "becoming gay" from drug effects. If you want to be gay, be gay. If you don't, don't. Your private thoughts are not anyone else's business.

 

Do not worry about your heterosexuality and add useless anxieties to your problems.

 

Straight male panic over "gay" inclinations seems to me to be one of the more inane anxieties. Please, let's not work ourselves up over it here.

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

Alto, I do understand you, sorry for posting three times but this is quite important for me. What I´m explaining is not the typical anxiety or ocd about being gay which I understand, as this is based on true experiences. Alto you know weird things can happen in withdrawal, but of course it may or may not be the cause just as many other symptoms. What I was hoping was for some constructive feedback and wasn´t willing to offend anyone ,but I understand you don´t want me to talk more about it? Any way thank you for the responses and sorry

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment

There have been other discussions about sexual drive and preference changes relating to ssri drugs.  I had a few different things changed with different meds... 

 

Effexor intrusive sexual thoughts... and lots of them they seemed to be coming out of left field they were foreign to my previous sex life and cause me unease and discomfort... in the beginning when I first started the drug... 7 years later when I stopped taking the drug and celexa ... I will mention cause it was added in those 7 years...

 

when I stopped taking the drug my life had changed to the extreme... a lot of it was based on sexual changes... I quit my job became a stripper.

 

There are other posts on here like this I know cause I have added my five cents to them in varying detail... I tried to find them to send you to them but can't find them.  One other person at least has been on here stating their sexual preference has changed since starting ssri drugs... I think different studies than the rat one you suggested were mention. It may be worth taking another look.

 

I for one do not think changes in sexual preference and how you think or feel about sex that are drug induced are always benign and in some cases they have devastating affects on peoples lives I was one of them. 

 

I believe these drugs can change many more thing that what we now believe but like I said I was changed sexually by different drugs ...our brains are curious things that are not fully understood we should never have started playing with them ... well I wish I hadn't

Look around here more maybe you can find the other posts. 

peace B

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...

So... I guess... withdrawal has started for me, It´s now about a week were I feel really depressed, hard time going to Uni and coping with people. Thinking 1000x times about any little thing.

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

What do you mean "withdrawal has started for me"?

 

If I were you, honestly, I would not worry about passing sexual thoughts. Nobody is all straight or all gay, we're all a mixture of impulses and attractions.

 

Please look into your habit of thinking and consider if you tend to become obsessive over things that frighten you or make you miserable. Then learn to manage such habits of thinking so you stop harming yourself with your thoughts.

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

Noo, what I meant that what I have experienced since I stopped the drugs has ranged from a variety of symptoms, but I just started getting a bit ocd and depressive a week a go, although today I´m a bit better. I´ts a weird feeling I am running around in my house like fed up, but I also feel a bit weepy (wanting to cry) but I also want to go out and have a drink with my friends... This is weird. 

 

My main concern is not becoming bipolar (yes its a bit ocd, and irrational) but man, I a day I feel miserable then better... Its strange.

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Calm yourself down. This is a very important skill. Listen to your body and keep it calm, too. This might not be a good time to add alcohol to it. Do healthy things instead.

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

My main concern is not becoming bipolar (yes its a bit ocd, and irrational) but man, I a day I feel miserable then better... Its strange.

 

I had that concern last year when I was consumed by anxiety before going on prozac for second time, I had the obsessive fear of being bipolar, and whenever I felt happy it scared me, and then I got scared of being scared, because I feared the possibility of not stopping being scared. lol, I feared my own fear.

 

Now that I am very flat/anhedonic since I stopped the prozac, I don't have many issues with fear anymore, but what helped me best to keep ocd in control is exercising: running is awesone. Also meditation is very good, you can read a bit about breathing meditation.

About me ------------------------ College student with a history of anxiety, excessive worrying and health anxiety.

April 2014 - May 2015----------    Prozac 20mg On and Off.  Second time on it I developed apathy, changes in personality, asexuality.

May 2015  -   July 2015-----------------  Tappering off prozac. Still no feelings,anhedonia, apathy, no libido, asexuality.

Current symptoms--------  pssd (asexuality in my case). Anxiety and depression developed some months afer stopping prozac, could have been caused by obsessing and beating myself up too much when I found myself unable to like girls again. The best thing to do with pssd (which in my case is asexuality) is accept it and move on.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Excellent suggestions, Theon!

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

Were do I begin, last week was a troubled one. I started classes again and felt some debilitatig anxiety for a few days but I got better and on fruday my friends were going out and i decided to join them.

 

Last year with lexapro I had bad experiences with alcohol. I would get really out of character during the night, didnt sleep and wake aup with like paranoia.

 

I hadnt drank in like 6 months and I took 1 beer and 2 cocktails. The effect wad much better than last year and i didnt loose my head but after I couldnt sleep and today has been horrible. Repetitive thoughts, anxiety... A complete mess... And what bothers me is that it gets worse when I try to sleep. I hope it will pass...

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

I think we may have mentioned before that alcohol will cause problems when you have post-acute withdrawal syndrome?

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

I only drunk twice in 2015, once in summer and at new year's eve. Alcohol does not suit well with me anymore, I didn't get the normal "euphoria" of being drunk, I actually didn't feel anything from the drinks, but the next day I felt worse than usual. 

 

However, thinking about it, it's good for me, the friends that I have now don't  drink, or they drink very little, and I like that. Alcohol only brings bad things, but not only for people like us who have been on antidepressants, alcohol brings bad things to everybody who drinks it.

 

My advise is that you try to do activities that doesn't imply drinking, like playing football, playing board games, video-games, go to the movies, etc.

 

And when you go out just remember that our brains are not completely normal, we have a history of mental illness (anxiety) and we have been on antidepressants, we have to look after our brains more than a normal person would do.

About me ------------------------ College student with a history of anxiety, excessive worrying and health anxiety.

April 2014 - May 2015----------    Prozac 20mg On and Off.  Second time on it I developed apathy, changes in personality, asexuality.

May 2015  -   July 2015-----------------  Tappering off prozac. Still no feelings,anhedonia, apathy, no libido, asexuality.

Current symptoms--------  pssd (asexuality in my case). Anxiety and depression developed some months afer stopping prozac, could have been caused by obsessing and beating myself up too much when I found myself unable to like girls again. The best thing to do with pssd (which in my case is asexuality) is accept it and move on.

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

I would add that our nervous systems are very delicate and any little thing can tip us backwards, bringing up withdrawal symptoms.  Every decision needs to take that into account.  We can't prevent all stressors in life but when there is a choice, always err on the side of protecting yourself and not pushing the envelop for a good while. I haven't made it through going off a drug successfully, yet, but this is what I've synthesized from others' experiences who have.

 

How are you now, Ignacio?

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

Link to comment

Mmm... I dont know today I was a bit better although the symptoms I had before overlap with the bad effects of the alcohol.

 

Its hard to say no. At certain moments you are ok and forget your delicate state and the consant change of experiences feelings and sympoms in wd. But certainly putting drugs that push our bodies and change the way we see reality doesnt help.

 

I can say I am sweating and my mind is a bit like ocd. Although the days before I were pretty much like this.

 

Thanks for the support!

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment

Im sorry fr not following your advice alto, I´ve certainly made a mistake. Its obvious I´ve had a setback.

 

I had the mindframe when I suffered that it was withdrawal ,for example: when I was a bit OCD  I said to myself, wow this is bad but It feels like me again Its good to have a bit of fear  plus I am a bit OCD but I feel I am regaining interest in some things and my memory is betterand thatit would pass, I am making some progress. But now I think is this the alcohol? I fucked it. 

 

I mean it´s a really difficult road, we hardly know anything about withdrawal and we have to juggle to keep our lives looking normal. I hope this passes soon. I made some improvements the weeks prior to this but now, Im just so pessimistic.

 

 

thank you all for your responses

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

It will take a while for your nervous system to settle down.

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

I only drunk twice in 2015, once in summer and at new year's eve. Alcohol does not suit well with me anymore, I didn't get the normal "euphoria" of being drunk, I actually didn't feel anything from the drinks, but the next day I felt worse than usual. 

 

However, thinking about it, it's good for me, the friends that I have now don't  drink, or they drink very little, and I like that. Alcohol only brings bad things, but not only for people like us who have been on antidepressants, alcohol brings bad things to everybody who drinks it.

 

My advise is that you try to do activities that doesn't imply drinking, like playing football, playing board games, video-games, go to the movies, etc.

 

And when you go out just remember that our brains are not completely normal, we have a history of mental illness (anxiety) and we have been on antidepressants, we have to look after our brains more than a normal person would do.

I don't drink at all and find that I am reacting to many drugs at this point things like antibiotics ect that are common that I could take before I took an ssri... try to stay away from all drugs as much as your possibly can.  It is not just your brain that is affected by ssri drugs it is your whole body ... just don't need the complications... avoiding chemicals even is food is the best advice I can give. 

peace

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Ignacio, you aren't the first person to make mistakes on this site!  Unfortunately, you won't be the last.  But it's a learning curve, and I think you learned a hard lesson, that although drinking is the culture, you are just going to have to be more careful with yourself.  Whatever our story with these drugs, failed attempts to come off, tapering without incident, tapering with lots of bumps, etc, we have sensitized nervous systems that are very fragile now and things like alcohol ,caffeine, supplements, and even certain foods for some, can trigger withdrawal symptoms, cause a wave. So, hit the reset button and move forward more aware :-)  Be patient with yourself.

 

Neuro emotions really make us think pretty irrationally, so I think it is really necessary to develop awareness of that and remind yourself "this is not me, it is withdrawal."

 

You will get through this :-)

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

Link to comment

Dear SA, 

I don´t even have the force to write this right now, but wil try my best in desperation.

 

Its as if I have open a pandoras box since saturday. Past 2 days of discomfort after I drank on friday I started Uni on monday. Its been only four days since the week started but for me it has been a month. I´ve had all kinds of symptoms sensations, moods ,feelings , fear, despair, everything. It was insane.

 

Today I couldn´t make it to University and as I live with my parents and we are pretty close they noticed. I have never failed a day at Uni since I left my previous degree two years ago and it is a pretty triggering moment for me and my parents. 

 

They are preocupied and I am in the depth of a mind blurring depression. I can barely think. I told this to my parents as I can barely function and they told me they are really preocupied.

 

My mother wants to seek help as soon as possible, and she would desire for me to see a psychiatrist and start medication, although she says she respects my decision of not taking it.

 

The thing is they say they dont want to see me doing nothing in my room. I am in a really dark place and can barely think or communicate with them. Its as if I have surrendered and dont give a **** about anything. 

 

I dont know what to do, what to tell them. I cant think of the future. But they dont understand. 

 

Have any of you experienced anything like this, especially not being able to communicate what you feel? What should I do?

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Ignacio, if you keep on drinking, we can't do anything to help you. You are making yourself worse.

 

Your nervous system will need even more time to settle down.

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

Alto?continue to drink? I don´t understand the last time I drank was 1 week ago and you say it as if I did it on purpose, previously to that I´ve had a few beers with no problem, but I won´t do it any more

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Sorry, you said you drank on Friday, I thought this was a second time.

 

Your nervous system will need to settle down.

 

Did you ever try fish oil and magnesium?

http://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/
 

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

 

My mother wants to seek help as soon as possible, and she would desire for me to see a psychiatrist and start medication, although she says she respects my decision of not taking it.

 

 

What about finding a good therapist?, If your mother feels the need to do something, you can try with therapy.

Therapy has been shown to have as good results as medication to treat anxiety/depression, and with no side effects.

About me ------------------------ College student with a history of anxiety, excessive worrying and health anxiety.

April 2014 - May 2015----------    Prozac 20mg On and Off.  Second time on it I developed apathy, changes in personality, asexuality.

May 2015  -   July 2015-----------------  Tappering off prozac. Still no feelings,anhedonia, apathy, no libido, asexuality.

Current symptoms--------  pssd (asexuality in my case). Anxiety and depression developed some months afer stopping prozac, could have been caused by obsessing and beating myself up too much when I found myself unable to like girls again. The best thing to do with pssd (which in my case is asexuality) is accept it and move on.

Link to comment

Hi guys, I need some help, the symptoms this last few days have shifted a bit. When I am relaxed I feel I am improving and I feel better in many ways ( relationships, thinking, sleeping...) but the problem is whenvI have to go tu Uni I get really stressed and bad tempered during the rest of the day.

 

I have been able to discuss it with my parents and I was able to cry and communicate, but they keep insisting on me going back to the meds as they see I am getting worse and they tell me I need to see a profesional psych.

 

Every time the supportive talk becomes an argument, I get really frustrated and irritable unable to communicate speciallly because some days Im sad, other days Im frightened, the next Im so irritable.

 

What can I do in this situation? Is trying to convince them an option?

 

Pd: thanks theon, a therapist is a good idea I got really good experiences from them in the past but my problem stems from the emotional effects of ssris and therapy is hard in my mood, although its better than the other options

 

 

I guess this too shall pass.

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment

I think therapy could help you a lot, and also have you looked into meditation?, there is a very big group on the website reddit (dont know if you know it), and you can see by the talks and experiences of people that meditation really have the potential of changing a person. I am personally doing it every day and I think it's helping me. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation

About me ------------------------ College student with a history of anxiety, excessive worrying and health anxiety.

April 2014 - May 2015----------    Prozac 20mg On and Off.  Second time on it I developed apathy, changes in personality, asexuality.

May 2015  -   July 2015-----------------  Tappering off prozac. Still no feelings,anhedonia, apathy, no libido, asexuality.

Current symptoms--------  pssd (asexuality in my case). Anxiety and depression developed some months afer stopping prozac, could have been caused by obsessing and beating myself up too much when I found myself unable to like girls again. The best thing to do with pssd (which in my case is asexuality) is accept it and move on.

Link to comment

I am 6 months off after 1 year on 2.5 mg of lexapro, what are my odds at reinstating?

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

I don't know that anyone could give you odds, though they do decline the longer you have been off.  If you could make a liquid, or get a script, you might try something like 0.25 mg and see how you feel.  If no adverse reactions, you could slowly titrate up after a week of seeing if that helped.  I'm sure a mod will correct me, but the point is to be very conservative in your attempt to reinstate so that you don't get blown away by an adverse reaction!

 

It works for some and not for others.  I reinstated at 10 months out, not having found this forum, and I think I reinstated half of what I'd quickly come off of.  I was lucky in that it worked immediately, and I didn't have any side effects.  All that says to me is that my nervous system was really STUCK and not rising to the occasion very well! What that means for me, I think, is that I will have to see my way off of venlafaxine at an excruciatingly slow pace in hopes my nervous system upregulates.

 

I hope that it works for you and you can get some relief.  They you and I will slide our way very slowly off!

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

Link to comment

this 6 months weren´t easy but whatis nowhere near what Ive felt these two weeks

1/12: 20 mg Prozac.


6/14: Doc decides to switch me to Lexapro in may. The switch consisted in overlaping fluoxetine and half lexapro for 2 weeks, then stop fluoxetine and go on 10mg Lexapro, I was a week on 10mg lexapro and stopped as I was feeling bad then went on 3mg and taper from it .After that I learned from withdrawal and all that.


7/14: 2.5mg Lexapro for 1 year.


7/15: cold turkeyed from 2.5 mg.

Link to comment
  • Administrator

You need to figure out how to reduce your sense of stress while you're at school. Whatever you're doing, slow down. Take meditation breaks.

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
  • 9 months later...

Hey Ignacio, how are you doing now?

December 2010: 10mg Citalopram

April 2011: 5mg for 2 weeks then cold turkey withdrawal - Extremely bad depression / no emotions

June 2011: Reinstated 10mg - After 3 weeks started getting impulsive suicidal thoughts

July 2011: Cold turkey - Withdrawal hell begins...

 

January 2021: Reinstated 0.1mg Citalopram as last resort

February 2021: 0.2mg Citalopram for 2 days had bad foggy head so went back down to 0.1mg

Upon reducing I experienced low mood, suicidal thoughts, burning up, low appetite, very bad insomnia, mild diarrhoea

22 Feb 2021: Stopped all Citalopram after panic / depression attack and crying similar to when I reinstated back in June 2011.

 

4 April 2022: Reinstated 0.1mg Citalopram - Anxiety + foggy head

5 April 2022: Stopped Citalopram - More lasting damage...

Link to comment

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy