picchy Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 Hello Squirrelly, Thanks so much for replying to my post. From what you say it may be a bad idea to come off the birth control pill while still in withdrawal. I'm still concerned about it though and can't find anything online about whether you can taper off it, or whether that would send your hormones haywire. Guess I'll worry about it later - though if anyone knows whether you can I would greatly appreciate any info! I do get windows of a sort - thanks for asking:) The problem is I always feel ill because I also have much worsened ME. Because so many physical symptoms of w/d are similar to ME (illness, light sensitivity, dizziness, intolerance to exercise, general nervous system disorder) I'm hoping they might clear up with the w/d. Here's hoping anyway. I'm trying to meditate again to help calm my system down and have managed a bit lately - which is a miracle. Well done for getting off the BCP though! I hope your taper is going as well as can be expected? Best wishes, Picchy Sufferer of moderate ME/CFS since 2005 Started 20mg Citalopram in March 2008 due to bereavement Was fine since then with no adverse effects or depression - so decided to taper off Came off it in March 2014 after a five-month taper, which I thought was a long time Experienced a month of uncharacteristic depression in April 2014 Two months feeling fine In June 2014 return of depression then an overnight physical crash leaving me debilitated in July Tried to take moclobemide at low dose for 2 weeks in July but severe reaction Housebound since then, ME now severe No meds taken Female, 38 years old Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 27, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 27, 2016 Hi picchy , welcome to the site. Forgive my ignorance , but what is ME ? bw , Fresh 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
btdt Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Hi picchy , welcome to the site. Forgive my ignorance , but what is ME ? bw , Fresh http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6916-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-cfs/ http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/110-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/ http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6329-chronic-fatigue-prozac/ and there are more threads about it here this seemed like enough to me 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
btdt Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 the pill http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2011-hormone-pills-birth-control-causing-relapse/ http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9246-the-pill-depression/ I don't think they cover tapering the pill but they may I can't recall 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 Fresh Posted March 27, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thanks btdt , but I'd like to know what ME stands for. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
crhawk Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Looks like it is myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome History of Wellbutrin, Neurontin, Buspar, Paxil and others in 1990's - teenage years Xanax .5 mg as needed 2010-2015 One injection of Haldol in ER 10/9/2015 - dystonic reaction (ongoing issues) One 50 mg pill Zoloft 10/31/15 adverse reaction/s that are ongoing Xanax .125 mg every 3 hours as needed, .25 mg at bedtime 1/8/16-1/21/16Xanax .25 mg every 3 hours (1.25 mg/day) 1/22/16 - 2/9/16Xanax .25 mg/5 times a day (1.25 mg/day) starting 2/10/16, then tried 6 times/day (2x.25, 4x.1875)Xanax .25 mg/6 times a day (1.5 mg/day) starting 2/19/16 Tapering off of Xanax, switching to Diazepam, starting June 29, 2016, then starting taper soon there after Completed Xanax taper early Sept 2016, crossover to 20 mg/day Diazepam Currently at 2 mg Diazepam/day = 1 mg bedtime, 1 mg morning Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 27, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 27, 2016 Cheers CR 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 29, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 29, 2016 Picchy , what is the name of the pill you take? Do you have 1 week of sugar pills each month? "in more severe withdrawal I went back to the low-dose (20/150 mg) " Are these the hormone ratios? 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
picchy Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 Thanks btdt for the links, although they don't seem to cover tapering.. Thanks Fresh, it's Gedarel low-dose pill - the 20mg is the oestrogen and the 150 the progesterone. There are no sugar pills, I just stop taking them to get a period. Cheers, Picchy Sufferer of moderate ME/CFS since 2005 Started 20mg Citalopram in March 2008 due to bereavement Was fine since then with no adverse effects or depression - so decided to taper off Came off it in March 2014 after a five-month taper, which I thought was a long time Experienced a month of uncharacteristic depression in April 2014 Two months feeling fine In June 2014 return of depression then an overnight physical crash leaving me debilitated in July Tried to take moclobemide at low dose for 2 weeks in July but severe reaction Housebound since then, ME now severe No meds taken Female, 38 years old Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 29, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 29, 2016 Thanks picchy. The advice given is that if you stop taking them for a week each cycle , you should be fine to cease them at that time. Just don't re-start. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
GuillotineDream Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Yes, it is possible to wean off your contraceptive, and dare I say much safer too than going cold turkey. I know because I did it and I'm about 51/2 to 6 months out without the horrible symptoms of upheaval I had the first time around when I just went off after finishing the pack as advised. I started taking a supplement called Estroblock to protect myself from Estrogen Dominance as I had been on the pill for about 15 years. I was about 4 and a half years out from my last dose of Zoloft and still recovering when I had a bit of a cancer scare. I was terrified but I prayed on it in my own way and knew in my heart it was best to come off the pill. I did some research and found success stories of women who weaned themselves off by cutting little slivers of the pill every month and took hormonal support like the Estroblock I mentioned. I got down to half a pill over a few months with really no detectable side effects and after a bout of the flu or what might have been a healing crisis because I was on a detox regimen as well, I missed taking my half a pill for a few days. I was about to start up again but something told me to let it go and that was back in late October of 2015. It seems like I'm getting healthier week after week now and I'm so grateful to not be taking any of these drugs for the first time in 15 years. Zoloft nearly killed me. Depakote at 15 for PTSD Then Lithium for "bipolar disorder". Then Paxil, Welbutrin, Celexa, Serequel, Buspar and Risperidol And Effexor At 21 I'm transitioned to Zoloft only At 26 in late 2010 desperate to no longer just exist I go off my "pediatric dose" of Zoloft which I had previously weaned towards Shortly after spend the next few years going through WD Hell 2016 Drug free and trying to reclaim my health with the help of my kinesiologist we're not scare mongering. this is really happening. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 30, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 30, 2016 Hi GuillotineDream , thanks for your input. Please could you do an Introduction thread for yourself in the Intro. section so we can get to know you. It would also be helpful to put your drug history in your signature , instructions are here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/ 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
picchy Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Thanks so much Guillotine Dream, your response is really helpful. I don't trust doctors saying you can just stop it suddenly, since surely you develop a reliance on the pill over years too. I wanted to find out if there were indications it's a bad idea to taper off the pill, which is why I posted. I was concerned reducing slowly might not work with hormones and could confuse the body and make it go a bit haywire. Did you only take Estroblock while tapering? I don't understand why you would need less estrogen coming off the birth control pill - will coming off the pill not mean you have less estrogen in your system and that it will take your body a while to start producing its own again? Thanks so much for your reply, and well done for surviving your protracted withdrawal. I feel lucky to be alive - it nearly killed me too. Best wishes, Picchy Sufferer of moderate ME/CFS since 2005 Started 20mg Citalopram in March 2008 due to bereavement Was fine since then with no adverse effects or depression - so decided to taper off Came off it in March 2014 after a five-month taper, which I thought was a long time Experienced a month of uncharacteristic depression in April 2014 Two months feeling fine In June 2014 return of depression then an overnight physical crash leaving me debilitated in July Tried to take moclobemide at low dose for 2 weeks in July but severe reaction Housebound since then, ME now severe No meds taken Female, 38 years old Link to comment
Twinmom Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Sorry to hear things are so hard. No advice but I went off bc cold turkey while in w/d from Zoloft. I was on a low dose pill though, and only on it for about a year, off the previous year, and on/off again relationship with regular dose estrogen bcp for 15 years. Now off for good. I didn't bother talking to my doc about it, since she's the one who first put me on Zoloft, then suggested a bad way to taper. Anyway, I don't *think* I noticed any extra mood problem going off bc cold turkey. There may have been something, but the w/d symptoms from Zoloft for me were so severe they would've masked anything else. I hope you can find yourself a way to heal from your fatigue/symptoms. Big hugs. I took Zoloft at 50mg/day, then 100mg/day, for 18 months for Postpartum Depression. My dr wanted to increase to 150mg, at which point I decided I needed to get off (at about 1 year). I had many debilitating symptoms but it took me a while to recognize that it was the drug causing the problems. I tapered off over 6 months, and had lots of horrible discontinuation symptoms. I went from 100 to 50 by alternating doses (doctor's plan), for probably 2-3 weeks, then to 50, and stayed there for several months. Then down to 25mg/day alternated with 50 mg/day for a couple of weeks, then straight 25, then every other day 25, for like 2 weeks each time, down to one dose of 25 every few days, then off completely. I'm now 3-4 months drug-free but still experiencing severe mood fluctuations and some depression and self-harm. Just wondering when it's all going to end and when I'll be back to my old self. As long as the answer isn't "never" I just want to hear other stories. xo Link to comment
picchy Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Thanks Twinmom! That's reassuring. I did switch from normal to low-dose while in severe w/d, which didn't seem to have ill-effects, but I was so severely ill too I may not have noticed. My idiot doctor switched me onto normal dose pill a few years ago while telling me it was the same low-dose pill I'd been on before - the same one that had me on citalopram on a repeat prescription for years. I can see why you didn't bother to ask your doctor for advice:) I really hope you're getting through the severe and self-harm phase. My symptoms are much more manageable now I don't feel terrified and suicidal any more, even though I'm still really quite debilitated. I feel pretty reassured that everyone recovers. All the best, Picchy Sufferer of moderate ME/CFS since 2005 Started 20mg Citalopram in March 2008 due to bereavement Was fine since then with no adverse effects or depression - so decided to taper off Came off it in March 2014 after a five-month taper, which I thought was a long time Experienced a month of uncharacteristic depression in April 2014 Two months feeling fine In June 2014 return of depression then an overnight physical crash leaving me debilitated in July Tried to take moclobemide at low dose for 2 weeks in July but severe reaction Housebound since then, ME now severe No meds taken Female, 38 years old Link to comment
GuillotineDream Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Fresh, I'll get back on that. I detailed my history the other night and it didn't save and I didn't feel like doing it all over again. The intro might take a little more time. Picchy, I was taking Estroblock a few months in advance of tapering to protect myself from estrogen dominance. The supplement reduces the bad estrogens and restores the good estrogens. It's beneficial for women on birth control, going through menopause and even men with prostrate issues. I find it funny that doctors will warn against tapering off birth control because of the hormone fluctuations that can occur, yet say it's perfectly fine to just stop cold turkey even if you've been on them for several years. I remember I stopped when I was 21 and felt like I was going through a much worse puberty that was accompanied by what I imagine are hot flashes. Total upheaval. I lasted 6 months before I jumped back on the pill again, terrified to ever come off. It's a good thing your symptoms are more manageable now. I couldn't imagine trying to go off during withdrawal. If you do choose Estroblock I'd advise you go one capsule at a time, especially with chronic fatigue syndrome. It is detoxing so drink a lot of water if you can and maybe take something like milk thistle to support your liver. I do appreciate the congrats and ditto on those well wishes Zoloft nearly killed me. Depakote at 15 for PTSD Then Lithium for "bipolar disorder". Then Paxil, Welbutrin, Celexa, Serequel, Buspar and Risperidol And Effexor At 21 I'm transitioned to Zoloft only At 26 in late 2010 desperate to no longer just exist I go off my "pediatric dose" of Zoloft which I had previously weaned towards Shortly after spend the next few years going through WD Hell 2016 Drug free and trying to reclaim my health with the help of my kinesiologist we're not scare mongering. this is really happening. Link to comment
btdt Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Fresh, I'll get back on that. I detailed my history the other night and it didn't save and I didn't feel like doing it all over again. The intro might take a little more time. Picchy, I was taking Estroblock a few months in advance of tapering to protect myself from estrogen dominance. The supplement reduces the bad estrogens and restores the good estrogens. It's beneficial for women on birth control, going through menopause and even men with prostrate issues. I find it funny that doctors will warn against tapering off birth control because of the hormone fluctuations that can occur, yet say it's perfectly fine to just stop cold turkey even if you've been on them for several years. I remember I stopped when I was 21 and felt like I was going through a much worse puberty that was accompanied by what I imagine are hot flashes. Total upheaval. I lasted 6 months before I jumped back on the pill again, terrified to ever come off. It's a good thing your symptoms are more manageable now. I couldn't imagine trying to go off during withdrawal. If you do choose Estroblock I'd advise you go one capsule at a time, especially with chronic fatigue syndrome. It is detoxing so drink a lot of water if you can and maybe take something like milk thistle to support your liver. I do appreciate the congrats and ditto on those well wishes Sorry to butt in here but I have a question about the Estroblock... in menopause what is the point of it please as estrogen is lowered then no? I hit menopause and wd all at the same time after months of hormone fluctuations ... I stopped Effexor walla menopause happened just then too. what is the difference between good estrogen and bad? if I may ask. 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
GuillotineDream Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 btdt, I'm not an expert in this area, I just know that the supplement is both protective and detoxifying. It improves metabolism of estrogens and reduces the risk of cancers by assisting the body in removing damaged cells. You can also use progesterone cream along with it if need be. Bad estrogens are xenoestrogens which are man-made estrogens that we come across in our environment like chemical cleaning products, birth control, plastics, medications, etc. Pretty much everywhere unfortunately even our food and water supply. Over time this can build up and lead to estrogen dominant conditions like polycystic ovaries, infertility, irregular periods and certain cancers and much more. Oh God Effexor.. I'll hafta add another one to the signature! I'm truly sorry you had to deal with withdrawal at a time that's normally already difficult enough btdt. Stay strong Zoloft nearly killed me. Depakote at 15 for PTSD Then Lithium for "bipolar disorder". Then Paxil, Welbutrin, Celexa, Serequel, Buspar and Risperidol And Effexor At 21 I'm transitioned to Zoloft only At 26 in late 2010 desperate to no longer just exist I go off my "pediatric dose" of Zoloft which I had previously weaned towards Shortly after spend the next few years going through WD Hell 2016 Drug free and trying to reclaim my health with the help of my kinesiologist we're not scare mongering. this is really happening. Link to comment
btdt Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Thank you I had no idea all these things I do react to have an effect on hormones too... thought it was just the multiple chemical sensitivity ... guess it is along the same lines... there is a list here if anyone wants to look http://www.balancedconcepts.net/tips_avoid_xenoestrogens.pdf peace all 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
btdt Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 This thread may be relevant you decide http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3556-%E2%98%BC-wingbatty-hi-yall/ 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
Christian Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Thanks Twinmom! That's reassuring. I did switch from normal to low-dose while in severe w/d, which didn't seem to have ill-effects, but I was so severely ill too I may not have noticed. My idiot doctor switched me onto normal dose pill a few years ago while telling me it was the same low-dose pill I'd been on before - the same one that had me on citalopram on a repeat prescription for years. I can see why you didn't bother to ask your doctor for advice:) I really hope you're getting through the severe and self-harm phase. My symptoms are much more manageable now I don't feel terrified and suicidal any more, even though I'm still really quite debilitated. I feel pretty reassured that everyone recovers. All the best, Picchy Lexapro: started in 2002 at 10 mgs. Ambien: started as a as needed sleep aid in 2010. Quit Lexapro cold turkey in June 20015 due to contributing to low sodium issues. Restarted Lexapro in late November for a week (only 5 mgs) but quit due to dizziness side effects. Side effects worsened for 3 weeks until 12/24/15: Protracted WD hit, experienced extreme anxiety, insomnia lack of full concentration and social challenges. Reinstated Lexapro on 1/1/16 at 5 mgs. Increased per Dr to 7.5 MG. Tapered off Lexapro in March 2016. Started 50MG of Seroquel in late January 2016 for bedtime to help in eliminate Ambien. Tapered off both Seroquel and Ambien in March 2016. 2/14/16: Prescribed both Remeron (15 MG) and Temazapam (15 MG) for sleep. Also use Klonopin and Ambien again in place of Temazapam to avoid addiction. However I did take Temazapam 60 straight days 6/15/16: Stopped use of all benzo's and now use Belsomra 1-2 times a week. Still on 15 MG of Remeron 10/11/16: Off all psych medications After kindling, trying to regain my strength suffering from severe mental and physical fatigue. Link to comment
Christian Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Hello Picchy, I read your thread and I'm sorry that you have struggled. But I liked reading where you improved in some areas. I know in early WD yiu became bedridden and housebound. I believe you also said you had issues with TV, computers, reading? Did those areas improve? Are you still bedridden? What areas did improve for you? I'm in WD and that fatigue is crushing as well. Lexapro: started in 2002 at 10 mgs. Ambien: started as a as needed sleep aid in 2010. Quit Lexapro cold turkey in June 20015 due to contributing to low sodium issues. Restarted Lexapro in late November for a week (only 5 mgs) but quit due to dizziness side effects. Side effects worsened for 3 weeks until 12/24/15: Protracted WD hit, experienced extreme anxiety, insomnia lack of full concentration and social challenges. Reinstated Lexapro on 1/1/16 at 5 mgs. Increased per Dr to 7.5 MG. Tapered off Lexapro in March 2016. Started 50MG of Seroquel in late January 2016 for bedtime to help in eliminate Ambien. Tapered off both Seroquel and Ambien in March 2016. 2/14/16: Prescribed both Remeron (15 MG) and Temazapam (15 MG) for sleep. Also use Klonopin and Ambien again in place of Temazapam to avoid addiction. However I did take Temazapam 60 straight days 6/15/16: Stopped use of all benzo's and now use Belsomra 1-2 times a week. Still on 15 MG of Remeron 10/11/16: Off all psych medications After kindling, trying to regain my strength suffering from severe mental and physical fatigue. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 24, 2020 Administrator Share Posted August 24, 2020 @picchy, how are you doing? 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 ChessieCat Posted November 2, 2020 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 2, 2020 picchy had 2 Introduction topics. Newer one has been merged into the original one. Only 1 Introduction topic per member. No issues with chronology due to the fact that first topic was only 2014 and second topic started in 2016. * 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
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