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

☼ schizor: can the brain recover from antipsychotics?


schizor

Recommended Posts

Great news! So happy for you and thank you so much for coming back and letting us

 

know how you are doing! It helps and gives us so much hope.

2006-Cymbalta 60mg for lyme disease2009-Quit Cymbalta c/tFeb. 2010-Reinstated 60mg CymMar.2010 to May.2012 tapered Cym to 36mgMay 2012-Crossed over to 30mg CelexaMay 2012-Oct.2013 Tapered Celexa down to 2.5mgOct.2013-Switched to 30 beads CymbaltaDec.4,2013-Stopped Cymbalta at 17 beads<p>Akathisia hit at 6 wks off and continuesNow taking melatonin when needed for sleep.

Link to comment
  • Replies 226
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • schizor

    67

  • Altostrata

    15

  • Petunia

    15

  • dalsaan

    9

  • Administrator

schizor, I hope everyone on this site reads your wonderful post. Thank you.

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
  • Moderator Emeritus

Schizor,

 

Im delighted you are feeling so good in the world.   Your updates make a useful contribution.  I often refer people who feel they are doomed to a life time of damage to your thread.  You are an inspiration

 

D

Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist.

Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014.

Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September.

Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015.

Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15).

Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past.

 

DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017

 

>My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

338212.gif  Yay!

 

...and thank you for sharing the news of your recovery.

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

I am happy for you , I was  put also on many drugs including zyprexa

recovering hasnt been easy, two days ago I felt again fear and sadness

my pssd still is very bad, but improving somehow  good for you man

Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

My answer to one question a member has asked me

Question goes like this
"whether music sounded flat for you during the months of withdrawal. Did it go away eventually? How much time did it take? "

My answer is: 

Yes it sounded flat during the months of withdrawal. There's nothing you can do about it, only time will give you back the nice feeling music gives you.
It absolutely got away 120 %.
Most of the time now Im listening to music on my phone and I feel great.

Dont think about how much time is left, stay strong. Practice patience and know that one day music will sound even better then it sounded before.

9/2013 to 1/2014 on zyprexa,

1/2014 to 3/2014 months on zoloft

cold turkeyd all meds but still suffering from anhedonia

..

....

 

01/2015 recovered, my old self is back

06/2015  better and stronger person 

manic episode and total relapse

Link to comment

 This is  inspirational!  I'm very happy for you and thank you for updating a positive outcome.  I'm sure it will help many here.

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

Link to comment

Schizor, I hope you are right and that it is valid for everyone.

05/2013 Lyrica 100 mg / per day for pain + PGAD resulting from caesarian delivery11/2014 started to taper: 50 mg per day/ for one week then c/tafter one month reinstated at 50 mg /per days of 10 July 2015 drug free-

symptoms OCD

Link to comment

Oh schizor, I cannot express how happy I am for you and how much hope your story gives me.

I suffer from depression, anxiety, pure-o ocd, and panic attacks since 2004. Been on multiple different psychiatric drugs since 2006. Never had a significant WD problem before, only brain zaps for a month and then I'd be fine...............Been on Cipralex (escitalopram) 15 mg and Fluanxol (flupentixol) 1 mg since Sep 2014. Stopped taking the Cipralex after a fast 20-day taper.Took the last 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 5th, 2015. Then took Seroxat (paroxetine) 10 mg for a week, and stopped it too. Severe WD started suddenly on Feb 16th. RI 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 18th, 2015. RI worked and was relatively stable for a while................April 7 - decreased Fluanxol from 1 mg to 0.5 mg and took it at this dose for a week. - BIG MISTAKE; April 13 - WD starts creeping in; April 14 - RI full dose of Fluanxol 1 mg => severe muscle twitching and jerking when trying to relax and fall asleep, overwhelming sense of doom, dread, terror, and horror, insomnia, hoping to stabilize.
Tried doing a 10% cut off Fluanxol in the end of May for a few days, but quickly updosed to full dose because the twitching returned.
Experiencing waves and windows in the following months.
Unsuccessful brief taper attempt of Fluanxol by 5% on November 1st. Symptoms hit the next day. Too scared to continue tapering, reinstate full dose.
Severe crash in November after stupidly trying a barbiturate on November 9th. Grave mistake. Sense of unshakable inescapable internal torture, like my soul is in hell being tortured, terror/horror/dread/doom (probably akathisia?) that gets especially bad when trying to relax and fall asleep, muscles twitch, jerk and move on their own, shaking, insomnia, can't eat, confusion, disorientation, brain not working normally. Never felt so bad in my entire life. Never experiment with other meds while in WD! Praying to God I stabilize and get back to my baseline.
December - things getting even worse.

January - unbearable suffering

Link to comment

What fantastic news. I am so happy and inspired to know that you can recover from wd. It is great to know that you are doing well. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

DRUG HISTORY:

 

November 2013- Zoloft, ( Bad reaction).

January 2014 - March 2014 Seroquel.( Quit Cold Turkey).

January2014- Mirtazapine, I was taking 15mg at one stage, reduced to 7.5mg, Pgad reactions to Mirtazapine. Doctor kept increasing it to 37.5mg, until July 2014. No improvement, experiencing panic attacks, on 37.5 mg. I had enough by October 2014. Began tapering.

October 2014- Started tapering Mirtazapine from 37.5mg.

September 2015- Down to 4mg of Mirtazapine. Crashed.

September 16th- Up dosed to 5mg. Held this dose for almost 5 months. Stabilised.

February 2016- Began tapering again. From 5mg to 4.5mg of Mirtazapine. (Rocking the boat, again)! Lol. :(

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Hey guys, I dont have time to write my recovery story at this moment but I'll be happy to answer your question if you have any regarding my recovery.
Im feeling wonderful right now because I spend 30 minutes meditating usually in the morning and I do other activities as well. Im spending a lot of time in study and my mind and concentration are in a very good level also.

9/2013 to 1/2014 on zyprexa,

1/2014 to 3/2014 months on zoloft

cold turkeyd all meds but still suffering from anhedonia

..

....

 

01/2015 recovered, my old self is back

06/2015  better and stronger person 

manic episode and total relapse

Link to comment

That is so great Schizor, you dont know how much I envy you!

05/2013 Lyrica 100 mg / per day for pain + PGAD resulting from caesarian delivery11/2014 started to taper: 50 mg per day/ for one week then c/tafter one month reinstated at 50 mg /per days of 10 July 2015 drug free-

symptoms OCD

Link to comment

Why do you envy me when it is only a matter of time when you recover also? Each person is different and someone may recover slower and other faster in my opinion. It is the journey of recovery which can be actually beneficial to our mind as it becomes stronger and realizes how valuable emotions are to existing and interacting with other individuals and life itself.

9/2013 to 1/2014 on zyprexa,

1/2014 to 3/2014 months on zoloft

cold turkeyd all meds but still suffering from anhedonia

..

....

 

01/2015 recovered, my old self is back

06/2015  better and stronger person 

manic episode and total relapse

Link to comment

This thread is inspiring. I was Olanzapine for four week beginning with 7.5, then 5 and now 2.5. I will go off it tomorrow and begin this process. I feel you schizor the emotional dulling/zombie-like feel is brutal. I'm hoping to make a full recovery aswell.

 

Ben

Celexa 20mg - 8 months

Celexa 10mg - 1 year

Celexa 5mg - 8 months (off)

Olanzapine 7.5 - 1 weeks

Olanzapine 5 - 2 weeks

Olanzapine 2.5 - 1 week (off)

Zoplicone 4 weeks (stopped June 16)

Lithium 900mgs - 2 months

currently 1050mgs

 

My story here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9355-flowstate1310-zopiclone-withdrawalrebound-insomnia/?hl=lithium#entry176311

 

Link to comment

I was on Olanzapine for 39 days with the dosage brought to 20mg for the last half of the days. I'm afraid I'm gone for good, and am looking for support. I didn't suffer insomnia or any other symptoms, just the loss of my old self. I went off cold turkey. 

From April 16th 2015 to May 25th 2015, Zyprexa for 39 days. 20mg for the last half of the days. I'm off them cold turkey since May 25th 2015.

Clozapine 50mg a night.

Link to comment

It was very very hard for me in the beginning, Ben but maybe it was because I stopped cold turkey. I had an overwhelming desire for self-harm and sometimes I punched myself in the head, what was helping in keeping me distracted was playing video games and focusing on something and not having to think about the situation in which I was in, I think having some sort of distraction is what helped me a lot in the difficult times.

I also went off cold turkey, Neonic and I believe I was on 20mg also when I was in a mental hospital. Don't worry your old self will come back with full force. Have patience. If you believe you have a serious mental disease then I think talking to your psychiatrist and switching to different medication is the appropriate action. But if you took them for depression or any other imaginary problem which psychiatry created, then by stopping them I think you're on the right path, your old self will come back and it will be better. Try focusing on something to keep yourself distracted from the current reality for time will pass and soon your  reality will start changing for the better and it will continue until you are able to reach your self again.

9/2013 to 1/2014 on zyprexa,

1/2014 to 3/2014 months on zoloft

cold turkeyd all meds but still suffering from anhedonia

..

....

 

01/2015 recovered, my old self is back

06/2015  better and stronger person 

manic episode and total relapse

Link to comment

Schizor, your thread helps me very much to believe that the healing is possible.

05/2013 Lyrica 100 mg / per day for pain + PGAD resulting from caesarian delivery11/2014 started to taper: 50 mg per day/ for one week then c/tafter one month reinstated at 50 mg /per days of 10 July 2015 drug free-

symptoms OCD

Link to comment

It was very very hard for me in the beginning, Ben but maybe it was because I stopped cold turkey. I had an overwhelming desire for self-harm and sometimes I punched myself in the head, what was helping in keeping me distracted was playing video games and focusing on something and not having to think about the situation in which I was in, I think having some sort of distraction is what helped me a lot in the difficult times.

 

I also went off cold turkey, Neonic and I believe I was on 20mg also when I was in a mental hospital. Don't worry your old self will come back with full force. Have patience. If you believe you have a serious mental disease then I think talking to your psychiatrist and switching to different medication is the appropriate action. But if you took them for depression or any other imaginary problem which psychiatry created, then by stopping them I think you're on the right path, your old self will come back and it will be better. Try focusing on something to keep yourself distracted from the current reality for time will pass and soon your  reality will start changing for the better and it will continue until you are able to reach your self again.

Thank you so much, schizor, you're like an angel who has come just at the right time for me.

From April 16th 2015 to May 25th 2015, Zyprexa for 39 days. 20mg for the last half of the days. I'm off them cold turkey since May 25th 2015.

Clozapine 50mg a night.

Link to comment

I feel unable to engage or have any thoughts opinions feelings towards things. Conversations feel impossible. Did you experience this? This is easily the worst thing that has ever happened to me. This is death.

From April 16th 2015 to May 25th 2015, Zyprexa for 39 days. 20mg for the last half of the days. I'm off them cold turkey since May 25th 2015.

Clozapine 50mg a night.

Link to comment

Yes I did, you can go to the previous pages in this thread and check for yourself, this is not permanent and will little by little fade away as your thoughts and feelings towards things return. Conversations felt impossible for me also and now I am very confident and feel comfortable in talking and Im also enjoying it so have patience

9/2013 to 1/2014 on zyprexa,

1/2014 to 3/2014 months on zoloft

cold turkeyd all meds but still suffering from anhedonia

..

....

 

01/2015 recovered, my old self is back

06/2015  better and stronger person 

manic episode and total relapse

Link to comment
  • Mentor

So pleased for you schizor.

 

In the first depths of WD, some days I could not listen to music, I needed silence. Even now, loud noises stress me.....In the beginning....  All I could do was play the simplest games on the computer, but anything, anything to help me focus on something...  I had to get out of bed in the morning, as the waves of fear would hit me.   So I just sat at computer in dressing gown, and played silly computer games.....

 

I have upgraded to chess!!!!!!!!!!!  Still hopeless at it, but my brain must be focussing now.    After 6 months, I can now listen to music.  Some weeks I would watch tv all day, other weeks could not stand the television.  Some mornings I could make a coffee, other mornings I could not even do that.

 

Yes, anything, on-line games, anything, relaxation videos, anything, just so we can survive..  pamper yourself, and just wait.....  which you have done...

So great to hear you are doing so well.

 

OH what I really wanted to say is dont worry about your weight, it will disappear.. I was also very fat, and I am naturally a skinny person.........  Some days I didnt eat, and I didnt worry,  I always ate enough..........  now I am fitting into clothes I had eight years ago............... the drugs upset the gut, 90% of serotonin receptors are in the gut, these tablets upset the balance, so even if you eat the same, on the tablets you get fat.....   off the tablets, given time, your gut recovers,    you will naturally go back to your pre drug size......  and I dont workout, I am too exhausted at present to exercise.

1992 Dothiepin 375mg 8 weeks, exhaustion/depression.  Serotonin syndrome, oh yes!  seizures . Fell pregnant, 3rd baby, Nitrous Oxide, 3 weeks mental hospital pp psychosis. zoloft tegretol.

Feb 1996 ct tegretol, tapered Zoloft 8 weeks. as (unexpectedly)  pregnant. Steven died after 3 days.(Zolft HLHS baby).  98 had run in with Paxil, 2 tablets, 3 weeks taper, survived.
2005..menopause? exhausted again. Zyprexa, mad in three days, fallout....  Seroquel, Effexor, tegretol,   and 8 years of self destruction. Failed taper.
Damn 1/4 valium... nuts again! .fallout, zoloft 100mg  seroquol 400mg mirtazapine 45 mg  tegretol 400mg.  Mid 14 3 month taper. Nov 14 CRASH.
Mid 15 ....   75mg  seroquel,  3 x 1800mg SJW  2 week window end of December followed by 6 week wave
5/2 68mg seroquel, 2.5 x 1800mg SJW::::20/2 61mg seroquel, 2.5 x  SJW::: 26/2 54mg seroquel, 2 x SJW::::21/3 43mg seroquel, 1 x 2700SJW :::: 23/4 36mg seroquel 1 x 1800 SJW
15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::   28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::;  18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump.

23/9  3mg.....,  27/9 0mg.  Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg.............  LIGHTBULB MOMENT,  I have  MTHFR 2x mutations.  CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it.

Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues.

Link to comment

Yes I did, you can go to the previous pages in this thread and check for yourself, this is not permanent and will little by little fade away as your thoughts and feelings towards things return. Conversations felt impossible for me also and now I am very confident and feel comfortable in talking and Im also enjoying it so have patience

Thanks.

From April 16th 2015 to May 25th 2015, Zyprexa for 39 days. 20mg for the last half of the days. I'm off them cold turkey since May 25th 2015.

Clozapine 50mg a night.

Link to comment

Hi Schizor, congratulations on your recovery. I’m suffering from emotion loss and sudden onset of stupidity since not long after coming off Zyprexa. I’d been on it for just over a month and I suppose you could say I cold turkeyed. I’ve been seeing improvements in my sense of wellbeing over the last six months but I’ve got a long way to go. Although I’m not totally sure if we’re in the same boat (I personally can’t face videogames anymore) I’m going to ask you a few questions and I’d be grateful if you could answer them. They’re related to your lifestyle leading up to your recovery.

  1. Did you have a daily routine?
  2. When did you get up and go to bed?
  3. Did you drink coffee/tea? Any coke/pepsi/red wine or other caffeine containing products?
  4. How much per day? How long before bed?
  5. Did you smoke?
  6. What was you diet like? Any different kinds of foods with strange ingredients? (your bio says your from Bulgaria) How much fruit and veg? What kinds? Nuts? What kinds?
  7. Did you take a screen break before bed?
  8. Any exercise?
  9. Any supplements? How much?
  10. If you led a healthy lifestyle with good sleep, how long was this for before improvements were noted?
Link to comment

Hey schizor, im assuming you took the pill form of zyprexa. I was injected with a loading dose and an initiation dose of invega totaling up to about 390mg. I was wondering if you or anyone else on this site new how long it usually takes to recover from a depot shot of my type. Im three months out today and seeing minimum improvements. Im sexually impotent and have major anhedonia. Its really hard with the boredom and lack of emotions. I am glad for your recovery which gives me hope that i will also recover. Any response and advice will be greatly appreciated.

Anafranil 100mg

-was injected with invega sustenna 234mg then a week later 156mg

 

Link to comment

Hi Malf,in my opinion you are focusing too much on the problem itself, I used to do this also until I learned to distract myself from it. Im going to try to answer your questions as best as I could but before that I want to say that the most important thing for me in the recovery was giving myself rest and not forcing myself to do things. Do whatever you feel like doing, if its nothing that you want then do nothing and even if its thinking about how badly your brain has been damaged then think about it just let yourself experience and dont force yourself, desire to live will come by itself naturally I did not force myself to feel, instead I have let myself not to feel. If possible go on a vacation by yourself and spend some time alone, you may develop mental strength which could be useful when you recover.

 

 

1. No, I did not. There was no desire for a daily routine

2.At one time I had very little sleep, went to bed at 1-2 am and got up at at 5-6 am, little by little my sleeping hours increase and now I go to bed at 11 pm and get up at 6-7 am. 
3.I did drink coffe but not much,the other products - no.

4.usually only in the morning and very little short coffe
5.I had never smoked
6.nothing special, I did not have a diet and I ate whatever i felt like burgers and such
7.I dont know the definition of screen break, sorry not my native language.
8.None at all, until I started feeling better I began exercising and doing sports but it was only after i have felt improvement and desire to do it.
9. Members here suggested some supplements but I have only took them for a very short period of time and then I had stopped because didnt see any point of it. I think it was fish oil, dont really remember how much.
10.I did not led a healthy lifestyle. I got so fat that walking up and down the stairs got me tired, lol.


Hello, Redmanone I believe it will take more time to recover from the injection shot but I dont know how much more because I only have experienced the effects of swallowing pills. Maybe some other members here have so its a good idea for you to share your story by making your own topic and others who had recovered from depot shot would answer your question

9/2013 to 1/2014 on zyprexa,

1/2014 to 3/2014 months on zoloft

cold turkeyd all meds but still suffering from anhedonia

..

....

 

01/2015 recovered, my old self is back

06/2015  better and stronger person 

manic episode and total relapse

Link to comment

Thanks schizor. I'll try to make my own topic if i figure it out lol. I did however get a blood plasma level test done on the invega. The results came back positive today. I have a low amount in me, according to the doctors. But i still think that it is enough to be causing anhedonia and sexual impotency. I also talked to another person on a different forum who was given the same amount as me and is suffering as I am. Thanks for the advice though.

Anafranil 100mg

-was injected with invega sustenna 234mg then a week later 156mg

 

Link to comment

Thanks for that, I think if anything stands out from your answers it's that you would have been getting good quality sleep and that's got to be good for recovery.

A screen break is having time between staring at a bright computer screen and going to bed, which can interfere with melatonin production, which is important for sleep quality.

I'll try and chill out lol!

Link to comment

Hey schizor i have one more question. Did you have any problems sexually while withdrawing? I can get erections but its like theres no feeling down there at all. Theres no sensation like there used to be... Im scared man. If so how long did this last before you started to notice improvements. So far im 3 months out without any improvements that i can tell.

Anafranil 100mg

-was injected with invega sustenna 234mg then a week later 156mg

 

Link to comment

I'm all better now. I've been better since about 12 June or 20 June. 

From April 16th 2015 to May 25th 2015, Zyprexa for 39 days. 20mg for the last half of the days. I'm off them cold turkey since May 25th 2015.

Clozapine 50mg a night.

Link to comment

What an ispiring story. I hope to survive this thing....

Partner suddenly died 2014. Severe depression AGAIN (had previous episode 10 years ago). I was given escitalopram but could not bear the side effects, so i ask for an ECT (not sure if this helped). During the treatment and my hospital stay I was given Depakote mood stabilizer.  PDOC says I need to take it for two years. After 4-5 months I have a hard time with the Depakote. Hard to get up in the morning. Depression again or Depakote effects? So stopped Depakote (did not know about tapering then)

 

Januray 21, 2015. Severe depression again, started Pristiq 50mg and clonazepam 0.5 mg nightly. Had confusion, suicidal thoughts, thoughts about death, and find it hard to understand the TV, much more type in a computer.

 

Had adverse reaction to most antidepressants: muscle pain/spasms, irritablity, restlessness. Also Tried Prozac, Zoloft, Escitalopram years ago.

Started to taper pristiq and clonazepam after four months:

5th month:

2 weeks - 3/4 tablet PRISTIQ   (deducting the clonazepam also, so hard to cut)

2 weeks - 1/2 tablet PRISTIQ   (crumbs of clonazepam nightly)

2 weeks - 1/8 or less (hard to cut really) (zero clonazepam)

Then jump off pristiq.

I just wonder why I was cured during the 10 year period (2004-2014) I have no depression symptoms and no meds either. Pdoc said I might be biploar 2 but it is a "grey" area. Aren't bipolars supposed to be on maintenance meds?! Damn this diagnosis. I am tapering Pristiq either way.

Link to comment

Oh my God, cold turkeying took schizor about a year to recover? and he has no underlying sickness I think?

 

Will tapering off SNRI/SSRI smoothen it out?

 

Currently on 1/2 pristiq and will further cut. Where can I find success stories of this beside that of mogfish?

Partner suddenly died 2014. Severe depression AGAIN (had previous episode 10 years ago). I was given escitalopram but could not bear the side effects, so i ask for an ECT (not sure if this helped). During the treatment and my hospital stay I was given Depakote mood stabilizer.  PDOC says I need to take it for two years. After 4-5 months I have a hard time with the Depakote. Hard to get up in the morning. Depression again or Depakote effects? So stopped Depakote (did not know about tapering then)

 

Januray 21, 2015. Severe depression again, started Pristiq 50mg and clonazepam 0.5 mg nightly. Had confusion, suicidal thoughts, thoughts about death, and find it hard to understand the TV, much more type in a computer.

 

Had adverse reaction to most antidepressants: muscle pain/spasms, irritablity, restlessness. Also Tried Prozac, Zoloft, Escitalopram years ago.

Started to taper pristiq and clonazepam after four months:

5th month:

2 weeks - 3/4 tablet PRISTIQ   (deducting the clonazepam also, so hard to cut)

2 weeks - 1/2 tablet PRISTIQ   (crumbs of clonazepam nightly)

2 weeks - 1/8 or less (hard to cut really) (zero clonazepam)

Then jump off pristiq.

I just wonder why I was cured during the 10 year period (2004-2014) I have no depression symptoms and no meds either. Pdoc said I might be biploar 2 but it is a "grey" area. Aren't bipolars supposed to be on maintenance meds?! Damn this diagnosis. I am tapering Pristiq either way.

Link to comment

Eilidon20, schizor was recovering from an antipsychotic. Totally different ballpark than an SSRI. I know because ive successfully tapered many times from SSRIs but am having difficulty recovering from invega, a potent antipsychotic.

Anafranil 100mg

-was injected with invega sustenna 234mg then a week later 156mg

 

Link to comment

thank you for clearing it up remamone

Partner suddenly died 2014. Severe depression AGAIN (had previous episode 10 years ago). I was given escitalopram but could not bear the side effects, so i ask for an ECT (not sure if this helped). During the treatment and my hospital stay I was given Depakote mood stabilizer.  PDOC says I need to take it for two years. After 4-5 months I have a hard time with the Depakote. Hard to get up in the morning. Depression again or Depakote effects? So stopped Depakote (did not know about tapering then)

 

Januray 21, 2015. Severe depression again, started Pristiq 50mg and clonazepam 0.5 mg nightly. Had confusion, suicidal thoughts, thoughts about death, and find it hard to understand the TV, much more type in a computer.

 

Had adverse reaction to most antidepressants: muscle pain/spasms, irritablity, restlessness. Also Tried Prozac, Zoloft, Escitalopram years ago.

Started to taper pristiq and clonazepam after four months:

5th month:

2 weeks - 3/4 tablet PRISTIQ   (deducting the clonazepam also, so hard to cut)

2 weeks - 1/2 tablet PRISTIQ   (crumbs of clonazepam nightly)

2 weeks - 1/8 or less (hard to cut really) (zero clonazepam)

Then jump off pristiq.

I just wonder why I was cured during the 10 year period (2004-2014) I have no depression symptoms and no meds either. Pdoc said I might be biploar 2 but it is a "grey" area. Aren't bipolars supposed to be on maintenance meds?! Damn this diagnosis. I am tapering Pristiq either way.

Link to comment

This is a good story. Timely for me too as I have two antipsychotics to come off.

As requested. In the last 3 years to the best of my recollection I first dropped the max dose of Lamictal. Yes I just stopped it was doing absolutely nothing. Then I dropped Lexapro, that was even easier I had been on and off that a dozen times before. There were at least 2 odd off label attempts at anxiety that I won’t be able to remember. Then there was sweet/evil Seroquel. That was the last to go it’s been around 16 months.

Lithium, Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Celexa, Lamictal, Lexapro, Luvox, Viibryd, Brintellix, Pristiq, Zoloft, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Geodon, Abilify, Latuda, Ritalin, Adderall, Valium, Clonazepam, Alprazolam, Propanalol, Spravato

Link to comment

schizor, your story gives me hope, thank you for that, I have a "low-dose" antipsychotic to taper

I suffer from depression, anxiety, pure-o ocd, and panic attacks since 2004. Been on multiple different psychiatric drugs since 2006. Never had a significant WD problem before, only brain zaps for a month and then I'd be fine...............Been on Cipralex (escitalopram) 15 mg and Fluanxol (flupentixol) 1 mg since Sep 2014. Stopped taking the Cipralex after a fast 20-day taper.Took the last 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 5th, 2015. Then took Seroxat (paroxetine) 10 mg for a week, and stopped it too. Severe WD started suddenly on Feb 16th. RI 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 18th, 2015. RI worked and was relatively stable for a while................April 7 - decreased Fluanxol from 1 mg to 0.5 mg and took it at this dose for a week. - BIG MISTAKE; April 13 - WD starts creeping in; April 14 - RI full dose of Fluanxol 1 mg => severe muscle twitching and jerking when trying to relax and fall asleep, overwhelming sense of doom, dread, terror, and horror, insomnia, hoping to stabilize.
Tried doing a 10% cut off Fluanxol in the end of May for a few days, but quickly updosed to full dose because the twitching returned.
Experiencing waves and windows in the following months.
Unsuccessful brief taper attempt of Fluanxol by 5% on November 1st. Symptoms hit the next day. Too scared to continue tapering, reinstate full dose.
Severe crash in November after stupidly trying a barbiturate on November 9th. Grave mistake. Sense of unshakable inescapable internal torture, like my soul is in hell being tortured, terror/horror/dread/doom (probably akathisia?) that gets especially bad when trying to relax and fall asleep, muscles twitch, jerk and move on their own, shaking, insomnia, can't eat, confusion, disorientation, brain not working normally. Never felt so bad in my entire life. Never experiment with other meds while in WD! Praying to God I stabilize and get back to my baseline.
December - things getting even worse.

January - unbearable suffering

Link to comment

Schizor,

 

Just wanted to say I'm feeling much better now. Completely back to normal following eating magnesium rich foods and re-introducing fish into my diet. Thanks a lot.

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