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Cold turkey or rapid taper success stories?


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  • Moderator Emeritus

Any of those, please? I feel like I'm not seeing any and it's really bumming me out bc I'm too late to reinstate.

 

I saw one PP rapid taper success story, but person was on meds less than a year.

 

Please.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I did everything wrong by accident bc I hadn't found knowledgeable communities yet for help and was too scared to go back on based on the word of one doctor, and now am scared bc I'm not seeing success stories for people in my scenario.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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Wiggleit, I'm so sorry for your suffering. I quit cold turkey after 2.5 years of 40 mg paxil. WD was hell, my physical suffering was diminishing after a few months and after about a year it was mostly emotional/psychological suffering. Don't give up hope, you're on a healing journey that takes time. Send me a pm any time.

40 mg Paxil for 2.5 years

Quit cold turkey March 2006

WIthdrawal painful but gradually felt better after a year or so.

Now, ten years out, life has its problems because life is life But I am so happy and grateful for my life.

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I was just listening to these videos. There are several cold turkey healing cases documented.  Don't you wish there was an organization in the US that helped people with horrible withdrawals like this one in the UK?

 

Hang tough. You're stronger than you think. 

 

http://cepuk.org/recovery-stories/

9/2006 Began Lexapro

1/2014 Began taper from 15mg 

Cut dose by 2.5 mg every two weeks or until stabilized 

5/25/2014 Last dose 

 

Experienced: Anxiety/depression, intrusive thoughts, dizziness, de-personalization, mood swings, stomach pains, nausea, headaches, gastro upset, anger, many spells of brain fog, chills, water retention, hypoglycemia, heart palpitations, weight gain, light headedness, muscle constriction - jaw, chest, neck, cortisol surges waking me several times at night with heart racing, blurry eyesight / visual snow, neuropathic pain, burning/numbness in hands and feet, muscle twitching, light sensitivity, sinuses, temperature disregulation, ear zaps, FEAR, hopelessness, doom and gloom, muscle spasms and tension across whole body, low energy, apathy, depression, constant post nasal drip, ear pain, jaw pain and cracking, tooth pain, burning/tingling/numbing, right rib cage pain FOREVER, lymph congestion, hypersensitivity to many foods and many supplements, bladder/ urination issues, creaky bones, sallow, yellow skin on hands/feet, emotional dysregulation, back pain, vivid dreams, mucus, peeling lips.

 

What's left: Low energy some days, muscle pain, hormone imbalance, GI stuff here and there, eye floaters, peeling, red lips.

 

 

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Wow, Ginger, I saw your response and started crying.  Seeing it is like an answer to a prayer.  Thank you for inviting me to PM you.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Greentrain!!  Thank you for this link.

 

I wonder if the corruption of the US pharmaceutical industry and the irresponsibility of the FDA are what keep these issues unknown, thereby creating a cultural paradigm in which an organization like this is deemed "unnecessary"?  After all, you can't have an organization for a phenomenon that medical science says doesn't exist.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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WiggleIt, I was surprised when I saw your thread. There were countless success stories on PP from rapid tapers and cold turkeys. I don't recall anyone actually posting a "success story" per se until very recent years though.

 

I was very worried and thought I was an exception who would not recover, after joining PP in 2007, almost a year after my last dose from a much-too-fast taper off paxil. At that time, normal recovery on PP was considered to be 12 months, possibly as long as 18 months. And the 10% taper was something one person was trying as an experiment after repeated failures to be able to go off faster,and not what anyone else on AD sites had done. At almost one year off, I was in the worst of withdrawal, and that continued for me beyond the one-year point. Anything beyond one year was termed "protracted withdrawal" and newbies especially would freak out if anyone mentioned their withdrawal was lasting that long. A thread started for protracted withdrawal1 yr+ was frowned upon but tolerated. Requests for a success stories section or thread were repeatedly refused on that site. (It was only many years later that some "success stories" were collected in some threads, and by that time most members were gone or rarely posted, and newer members were or had been tapering by the 10% method.)

 

I am personally familiar with many, if not most, of the cases cited from PP in the thread about success stories from other sites, and most of them are from people who c/t'd (cold-turkeyed) or tapered very quickly, though their history is not given in those posts.

 

Recovery from cold turkeys or too-fast tapers either are brief or relatively uneventful, in which case people don't generally think to seek out withdrawal groups, or can be slow, although - I cannnot overemphasize this - do not remain at the early severity for the duration, and this group (SA) is new enough (and deliberately started very small, with a membership consisting specifically of people in protracted withdrawal) that most people who went off quickly are still recovering, albeit with many of us having had substantial improvement. I think most members of this group, especially those who post actively, are doing slow tapers, or joined too recently to have recovered from their too-fast tapers or c/t's  yet.

 

There are many other considerations to bear in mind. And many reasons why many, probably most people, don't post success stories. (I am one who has never done that.) The reasons are not what you'd think, and may alleviate a lot of people's needless worries. I have drafted a post about why people don't post success stories (based on many years in withdrawal groups and having corresponded with countless people privately.) I want to proofread it later (something I should always, but only very rarely do!). I will post it in this section of the site soon.

I was "TryingToGetWell" (aka TTGW) on paxilprogress. I also was one of the original members here on Surviving Antidepressants

 

I had horrific and protracted withdrawal from paxil, but now am back to enjoying life with enthusiasm to the max, some residual physical symptoms continued but largely improve. The horror, severe derealization, anhedonia, akathisia, and so much more, are long over.

 

My signature is a temporary scribble from year 2013. I'll rewrite it when I can.

 

If you want to read it, click on http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/209-brandy-anyone/?p=110343

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I did everything wrong by accident bc I hadn't found knowledgeable communities yet for help and was too scared to go back on based on the word of one doctor, and now am scared bc I'm not seeing success stories for people in my scenario.

 

So you haven't read my thread?

 

COLD TURKEY FROM 120 MG CYMBALTA 100 MG LAMICTAL .5 MG KLONOPIN

 

And I lived to tell about it, and still telling about it. And doing quite well at the moment.

What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878

 

July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site.

 

Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

WiggleIt, I was surprised when I saw your thread. There were countless success stories on PP from rapid tapers and cold turkeys. I don't recall anyone actually posting a "success story" per se until very recent years though.

 

I was very worried and thought I was an exception who would not recover, after joining PP in 2007, almost a year after my last dose from a much-too-fast taper off paxil. At that time, normal recovery on PP was considered to be 12 months, possibly as long as 18 months. And the 10% taper was something one person was trying as an experiment after repeated failures to be able to go off faster,and not what anyone else on AD sites had done. At almost one year off, I was in the worst of withdrawal, and that continued for me beyond the one-year point. Anything beyond one year was termed "protracted withdrawal" and newbies especially would freak out if anyone mentioned their withdrawal was lasting that long. A thread started for protracted withdrawal1 yr+ was frowned upon but tolerated. Requests for a success stories section or thread were repeatedly refused on that site. (It was only many years later that some "success stories" were collected in some threads, and by that time most members were gone or rarely posted, and newer members were or had been tapering by the 10% method.)

 

I am personally familiar with many, if not most, of the cases cited from PP in the thread about success stories from other sites, and most of them are from people who c/t'd (cold-turkeyed) or tapered very quickly, though their history is not given in those posts.

 

Recovery from cold turkeys or too-fast tapers either are brief or relatively uneventful, in which case people don't generally think to seek out withdrawal groups, or can be slow, although - I cannnot overemphasize this - do not remain at the early severity for the duration, and this group (SA) is new enough (and deliberately started very small, with a membership consisting specifically of people in protracted withdrawal) that most people who went off quickly are still recovering, albeit with many of us having had substantial improvement. I think most members of this group, especially those who post actively, are doing slow tapers, or joined too recently to have recovered from their too-fast tapers or c/t's  yet.

 

There are many other considerations to bear in mind. And many reasons why many, probably most people, don't post success stories. (I am one who has never done that.) The reasons are not what you'd think, and may alleviate a lot of people's needless worries. I have drafted a post about why people don't post success stories (based on many years in withdrawal groups and having corresponded with countless people privately.) I want to proofread it later (something I should always, but only very rarely do!). I will post it in this section of the site soon.

 

Brandy, I am only now catching up on stories from PP, as that site shut down only a few days after I joined SA.  I think it's CW who moved a bunch of stories from there onto here, but I am still working my way slowly through them.  Plus, I have to admit that some days (*ahem*, *cough*, I should probably say every second of every day), I panic and totally forget what I have read.  I don't know if the forgetting is rooted in the fear, or rooted in the short term memory issues, but there is definite forgetting.

 

Also, I'm starting to fear that people don't write recovery stories because they can never really be sure if they've recovered, or if some kind of bulldozer wave is going to come back again.  It's interesting for you to specifically identify that your reason for not writing a recovery story is not what people think, and I am glad to hear that, because I think all sorts of awful things all the time about why people don't write recovery stories.  And since I am a complete loon right now, all my theories sound infinitely reasonable to me!

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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  • Moderator Emeritus

 

I did everything wrong by accident bc I hadn't found knowledgeable communities yet for help and was too scared to go back on based on the word of one doctor, and now am scared bc I'm not seeing success stories for people in my scenario.

 

So you haven't read my thread?

 

COLD TURKEY FROM 120 MG CYMBALTA 100 MG LAMICTAL .5 MG KLONOPIN

 

And I lived to tell about it, and still telling about it. And doing quite well at the moment.

 

 

CW, I began your thread when I first got here, but I must not have made it far enough in to see when the WD started because I remember thinking how functional your posts sounded, which made me further terrified about myself.  :wacko: I will give it another go and thank you for calling it to my attention.

*I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience
**Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not
-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014

-All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness.  It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage.  All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors 

-Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine

-Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey)

-Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011
-Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less)

-Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week

-Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs 

-First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened

-Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD.  Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed.  NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it.

-Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned
-Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia
-Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat
-Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged
-7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia

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Hey, for your own sanity, skip ahead to Nov 2013 if you read my thread again, that's when protracted wd started, although reading those 'functional' posts give you a clue to what can happen. I thought I had recovered and made it through CT w/o a scratch and I was sadly mistaken. Was not taking care of myself and my own actions caused wd to manifest in spades. A great object lesson on 'what NOT to do'.

What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878

 

July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site.

 

Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Is there any members that have skipped doses that have recovered or are still in wd? I have not been able to find one.

Celexa 20mg 2008-2012 for Social Anxiety

Failed attempt to stop reinstated

1 year taper skipping doses

Celexa free 12/2013

1/2014-5/2014 took 5 htp every other day

Failed Reinstatement 5mg of Celexa on 12/2014 for 5 days only

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Drug free Sep. 23 2017

2009 Mar.: lexapro 10mg for headache for 2 weeks.

2009-2012: on and off 1/4 to 1/3 of 10mg

2012 June--2013 Jan,: 1/4-1/3 of 10mg generic, bad jaw pain

2013 Jan-Mar: 10 mg generic. severe jaw and head pain;

2013 Mar--Aug. started tapering (liquid ever since) from 10 to 5 (one step) then gradually down to 2.25 mg by July. first ever panic attack, severe head/jaw pain

2013 Aug.: back to 2.75 mg; Nov: back to Brand Lex. 2.75mg -- 3mg,

2014 June: stopped PPI, head pressure/numbness. up-dosed 4.5mg, severe reaction mental symptoms added on

2014 Aug--2015 Aug: Micro taper down to 3.2mg, .025mg (<1%) cut holding 2-3 weeks.

2015 Aug 15th, Accidental one dose of 4.2mg. worsening brain non-functional, swollen head, body, coma like, DR

2016 Feb., started dosing 10am through 11 pm everyday 2/13--3.2mg, 3/15-- 2.9mg, 4/19-- 2.6mg, 6/26--2.2mg, 7/22 --1.9mg, 8/16--1.8mg,8/31--1.7m g, 9/13--1.6mg, 9/27--1.5mg, 10/8--1.4mg, 10/14--1.3mg, 11/1--1.2mg, 11/29--1.1mg, 12/12--1mg, 12/22--0.9mg

2017: 1/7--0.8mg, 1/15--0.7mg, 1/17--0.6mg, 1/20--0.52, 1/21--0.4mg, 1/22--0.26, 1/23--0.2, 2/13--0.13mg, 2/20--0.06mg, 3/18--0.13mg, 6/1--0.12mg, 7/6--0.1mg, 7/14--0.08mg, 8/17--0.04mg, 8/20--0.03mg, 8/28--0.02mg, 9/6--0.0205mg, 9/8--0.02mg, 9/17--0.015mg, 9/20--0.01mg, 9/21--0.0048mg, 9/22--0.0001mg,

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  • 3 weeks later...

I quit cold turkey after 10 years of prozac with only brain zaps and extra anger for a few months. About 4 years later I had life crisis that brought back my original anxiety and I decided to try drugs again.  I shouldn't have, didn't know better. But anyway, I was off 4 years cold turkey with no problems during those years.

 

However, I've always had my original anxiety which can show up at any time. It has been a pattern thoughout my life.

 

My aunt also tapered off 10+ years of paxil, zoloft, klonopin and seroquel. She has been off for for several years and doing fine.

 

I do believe it's possible for some people to quit fast or CT. It's just impossible to know who will get severe withdrawal though.

Prozac 1999-2009 quit semi cold turkey.

 

2012 Placed on Seroquel 25 mg, Tranxene (Clorezepate) 3.75 mg 3x a day, Remeron 30 mg for anxiety/akathesia.

 

Weaned off Seroquel and Tranxene .to Remeron 15 Mg.

In May 2014 tried quitting Remeron at its lowest dose. Had severe withdrawals.Reinstated Remeron at 30 mg by doctor. August 5 2014 entered hospital. Doctor pulled the Remeron and bridged it to Pamelor (Nortriptyline) 40mg and Zyprexa 2.5mg.After removing the Remeron all my bad symptoms went away and I am stable.

 

9/11/14 - 7.5 mg tranxene, 40mg Pamelor, Zyprexa 2.5mg

12/29/14 -  20mg Pamelor, 1/6/15,  7/31/15 3.5mg, 8/10/15 3.2 mg, 9/15/15 2.2mg, 10/15/15 1.8mg

(Feb 2016 - 1.4mg Pamelor only -  OFF OF TRANXENE AND ZYPREXA SINCE DEC 2014 BENZO FREE Since 2014. Nortrityline (Pamelor) .8mg Aug 2016

March 2017 DRUG FREE

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I CT'd in 2012, and seem to be through the worst of it. However, it was life-wrecking and terrible, possibly because I had just gone psychotic on adhd meds, was prescribed Effexor, then told by doc to CT it. Life was utter hell until just after Christmas (2014). I have no experience of tapering whatsover.

2009: Cancer hospital said I had adjustment disorder because I thought they were doing it wrong. Their headshrinker prescribed Effexor, and my life set on a new course. I didn't know what was ahead, like a passenger on Disneyland's Matterhorn, smiling and waving as it climbs...clink, clink, clink.

2010: Post surgical accidental Effexor discontinuation by nurses, masked by intravenous Dilaudid. (The car is balanced at the top of the track.) I get home, pop a Vicodin, and ...

Whooosh...down, down, down, down, down...goes the trajectory of my life, up goes my mood and tendency to think everything is a good idea.
2012: After the bipolar jig was up, now a walking bag of unrelated symptoms, I went crazy on Daytrana (the Ritalin skin patch by Noven), because ADHD was a perfect fit for a bag of unrelated symptoms. I was prescribed Effexor for the nervousness of it, and things got neurological. An EEG showed enough activity to warrant an epilepsy diagnosis rather than non-epileptic ("psychogenic") seizures.

:o 2013-2014: Quit everything and got worse. I probably went through DAWS: dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome. I drank to not feel, but I felt a lot: dread, fear, regret, grief: an utter sense of total loss of everything worth breathing about, for almost two years.

I was not suicidal but I wanted to be dead, at least dead to the experience of my own brain and body.

2015: I  began to recover after adding virgin coconut oil and organic grass-fed fed butter to a cup of instant coffee in the morning.

I did it hoping for mental acuity and better memory. After ten days of that, I was much better, mood-wise. Approximately neutral.

And, I experienced drowsiness. I could sleep. Not exactly happy, I did 30 days on Wellbutrin, because it had done me no harm in the past. 

I don't have the DAWS mood or state of mind. It never feel like doing anything if it means standing up.

In fact, I don't especially like moving. I'm a brain with a beanbag body.   :unsure:

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I was just listening to these videos. There are several cold turkey healing cases documented.  Don't you wish there was an organization in the US that helped people with horrible withdrawals like this one in the UK?

 

Hang tough. You're stronger than you think. 

 

http://cepuk.org/recovery-stories/

 

Thank you Greentrain for sharing these videos, I cried when I watched them. 

In times of darkness it's so reassuring to hear others who have been through this hell say that it may take a long time, but it heals.

I'm eleven months off effexor cold turkey, suffering a several months long wave that is sucking the hope out of me.

1999-2004 citalopram 10 to 20mg with 2-3 withdrawal attempts.
2004 fluvoxamine for 4-5 months aprox. Changed to venlafaxine because of the headaches and dizziness.
2005-March 2014 venlafaxine usually starting on 150mg and coming down to 75 or 37.5. Several withdrawal attempts.
In March 2014 I stopped taking 37.5mg of venlafaxine without tapering.

Went through 5 months of confusion, anxiety, insomnia and desperation. From then I am very slowly recovering, on windows and waves.

Symptoms: muscle stiffness and aches, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, memory loss, inability to concentrate or think straight, difficulty to speak, difficulty to read (improving).

Taking omega3, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E and probiotics.

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Dear Jose, It is such a tough journey, isn't it? I'm 9 months off and was feeling hopeful until the latest pain and mental symptoms appeared last week. Try to remind yourself that each wave is your brain and receptors healing and becoming up-regulated. 

 

There will be a happy ending to our stories. I am sure of it.

 

In the meantime, it's about survival - do what you need to distract, comfort and get yourself through the day. I'll be joining you in that quest today.   :)

9/2006 Began Lexapro

1/2014 Began taper from 15mg 

Cut dose by 2.5 mg every two weeks or until stabilized 

5/25/2014 Last dose 

 

Experienced: Anxiety/depression, intrusive thoughts, dizziness, de-personalization, mood swings, stomach pains, nausea, headaches, gastro upset, anger, many spells of brain fog, chills, water retention, hypoglycemia, heart palpitations, weight gain, light headedness, muscle constriction - jaw, chest, neck, cortisol surges waking me several times at night with heart racing, blurry eyesight / visual snow, neuropathic pain, burning/numbness in hands and feet, muscle twitching, light sensitivity, sinuses, temperature disregulation, ear zaps, FEAR, hopelessness, doom and gloom, muscle spasms and tension across whole body, low energy, apathy, depression, constant post nasal drip, ear pain, jaw pain and cracking, tooth pain, burning/tingling/numbing, right rib cage pain FOREVER, lymph congestion, hypersensitivity to many foods and many supplements, bladder/ urination issues, creaky bones, sallow, yellow skin on hands/feet, emotional dysregulation, back pain, vivid dreams, mucus, peeling lips.

 

What's left: Low energy some days, muscle pain, hormone imbalance, GI stuff here and there, eye floaters, peeling, red lips.

 

 

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Beautiful and encouraging words, Greentrain, thank you.

I hit the wall around 6 weeks after coming off and then went through the worst for 3-4 months. Had a couple of windows (one of them really good) but I'm back to hard recovery mode I guess.

It is true that things get better, I myself am much better than I was, but it does get blurry and confusing at times.

You're very right it's about survival, one must keep going. There are many things that help, like supplements, yoga, breathing, meditation, exercise and so on, but what I have learnt is one cannot push things, or as buddhists say "one cannot push the river". You just have to flow with it, because taking the healing discipline too seriously becomes a great source of stress.

So we'll flow with the river, but keep swimming!

1999-2004 citalopram 10 to 20mg with 2-3 withdrawal attempts.
2004 fluvoxamine for 4-5 months aprox. Changed to venlafaxine because of the headaches and dizziness.
2005-March 2014 venlafaxine usually starting on 150mg and coming down to 75 or 37.5. Several withdrawal attempts.
In March 2014 I stopped taking 37.5mg of venlafaxine without tapering.

Went through 5 months of confusion, anxiety, insomnia and desperation. From then I am very slowly recovering, on windows and waves.

Symptoms: muscle stiffness and aches, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, memory loss, inability to concentrate or think straight, difficulty to speak, difficulty to read (improving).

Taking omega3, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E and probiotics.

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Jose, Our symptoms look similar and we're both at around the same time in withdrawal. I'm starting to see some things go down in intensity and had a glorious 4 day window last month, but you're right, it's a stage of frustration and restlessness because we're not acute anymore and just trying to hold on, but we're not predictably moving through our days and able to plan. We've put in a good amount of time already. 

 

And, yes, the more we accept that there is a reason behind our experiences, the more we are able to melt into them. And, hopefully we can grow from them and serve others because of the experience. 

 

A friend reminds me "When you fall down, be sure to pick something up while you're there."

 

I bet we're "picking up" a lot. 

 

Keep me up-to-date on your progress!

9/2006 Began Lexapro

1/2014 Began taper from 15mg 

Cut dose by 2.5 mg every two weeks or until stabilized 

5/25/2014 Last dose 

 

Experienced: Anxiety/depression, intrusive thoughts, dizziness, de-personalization, mood swings, stomach pains, nausea, headaches, gastro upset, anger, many spells of brain fog, chills, water retention, hypoglycemia, heart palpitations, weight gain, light headedness, muscle constriction - jaw, chest, neck, cortisol surges waking me several times at night with heart racing, blurry eyesight / visual snow, neuropathic pain, burning/numbness in hands and feet, muscle twitching, light sensitivity, sinuses, temperature disregulation, ear zaps, FEAR, hopelessness, doom and gloom, muscle spasms and tension across whole body, low energy, apathy, depression, constant post nasal drip, ear pain, jaw pain and cracking, tooth pain, burning/tingling/numbing, right rib cage pain FOREVER, lymph congestion, hypersensitivity to many foods and many supplements, bladder/ urination issues, creaky bones, sallow, yellow skin on hands/feet, emotional dysregulation, back pain, vivid dreams, mucus, peeling lips.

 

What's left: Low energy some days, muscle pain, hormone imbalance, GI stuff here and there, eye floaters, peeling, red lips.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Jose, Our symptoms look similar and we're both at around the same time in withdrawal. I'm starting to see some things go down in intensity and had a glorious 4 day window last month, but you're right, it's a stage of frustration and restlessness because we're not acute anymore and just trying to hold on, but we're not predictably moving through our days and able to plan. We've put in a good amount of time already. 

 

And, yes, the more we accept that there is a reason behind our experiences, the more we are able to melt into them. And, hopefully we can grow from them and serve others because of the experience. 

 

A friend reminds me "When you fall down, be sure to pick something up while you're there."

 

I bet we're "picking up" a lot. 

 

Keep me up-to-date on your progress!

Yes, there is a reason behind our experiences.

Thanks for your words and all the best in your journey, Greentrain. We'll be in touch.

1999-2004 citalopram 10 to 20mg with 2-3 withdrawal attempts.
2004 fluvoxamine for 4-5 months aprox. Changed to venlafaxine because of the headaches and dizziness.
2005-March 2014 venlafaxine usually starting on 150mg and coming down to 75 or 37.5. Several withdrawal attempts.
In March 2014 I stopped taking 37.5mg of venlafaxine without tapering.

Went through 5 months of confusion, anxiety, insomnia and desperation. From then I am very slowly recovering, on windows and waves.

Symptoms: muscle stiffness and aches, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, memory loss, inability to concentrate or think straight, difficulty to speak, difficulty to read (improving).

Taking omega3, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E and probiotics.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Mentor

Well I am suffering badly, physical symptoms gone by tears, and apathy, and cant do anything.

 

Had two days when I ran o 5%, now back to nothing.    I read these recovery threads, and I have have to feel like this for 6 years, i wont make it.

 

but them someone mentions on a bad day, they mess up baking muffins?  Gosh I cant even do the dishes.

Seriously considering trying the zoloft again?   then tapering properly, over two years.

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.

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Jose, Our symptoms look similar and we're both at around the same time in withdrawal. I'm starting to see some things go down in intensity and had a glorious 4 day window last month, but you're right, it's a stage of frustration and restlessness because we're not acute anymore and just trying to hold on, but we're not predictably moving through our days and able to plan. We've put in a good amount of time already. 

 

And, yes, the more we accept that there is a reason behind our experiences, the more we are able to melt into them. And, hopefully we can grow from them and serve others because of the experience. 

 

A friend reminds me "When you fall down, be sure to pick something up while you're there."

 

I bet we're "picking up" a lot. 

 

Keep me up-to-date on your progress!

Yes, there is a reason behind our experiences.

Thanks for your words and all the best in your journey, Greentrain. We'll be in touch.

 

"when you fall down be sure to pick something up when your down there" 

 

I love that... and I bet we all are picking something up when we are down there.

 

I went cold turkey not by choice.  I wish I could say I stopped the drugs and all was easy if anything this is what I picked up while I was down there. It is going to suck and there will be bad days and symptoms that only people who have been there understand. There are those who came before you and they have some things they picked up when they were down that may help you... and you can find them in the self care section. Along with a lot of things not to do in some respect I wish I had more information on the what not to do when I started this experience way beyond the not to go ct... but after your in it... don't try supplements at full dose for instance... I did eventually find this on another site but had already been injured by it by then. 

 

I think it is true we ct folks have a harder time of it. Our symptoms are extreme and some taper folks walk by looking at us like we are the car crash that is ok... I don't want anyone who don't need what I have to say to get things stuck in their heads as if you don't need it the very idea it could happen would scare the crap out of some. Fear and worry about normal I think when you body/brain goes wonky it is natural to be fearful and to worry ... however this is exactly the sort of thing that keeps the already out of whack body ... out of whack.   I know it will happen but try to limit it as much as you can or if you find yourself just suddenly there in a state of panic stop! stop and change it... do a deep relaxation meditation - walk... do what you have found works for you. 

 

There is no better suggestion I could make then to build a tool kit of things that help you.  Self care section again... you will need more than one tool to rebuild your self it can't be done with just hammer imagine building a house with just a hammer it can't be done the more tools you have the easier the job. Try many things and keep what works.  If something that use to work is not working that does not mean it won't work later... this is why we need more than one tool... you just never know build a big tool chest and fill it up. 

 

One thing we all need is a safe place... make one for yourself... I have two down from three...car died but it use to be a safe place. Bed and couch if nobody is home I know very common but if you practice being safe there and upping the effects the better it will work when you really need it. 

 

I can't advocate cold turkey after what I have lived thru but I can say it is survivable and most of it will end. It takes a long time I wish it didn't but it seems to. 

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 :)

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Well I am suffering badly, physical symptoms gone by tears, and apathy, and cant do anything.

 

Had two days when I ran o 5%, now back to nothing.    I read these recovery threads, and I have have to feel like this for 6 years, i wont make it.

 

but them someone mentions on a bad day, they mess up baking muffins?  Gosh I cant even do the dishes.

Seriously considering trying the zoloft again?   then tapering properly, over two years.

Ang, I'm so sorry that you're suffering like this.

You can make it, even if it means going back and tapering. But whatever you do, don't do it out of desperation, give yourself some time and care, pick a few things that you know for a fact they do you good, and do them consistently. The toolkit that btdt is taking about.

Be strict with this and flexible with everything else. Give yourself time to see things from the perspective of different days.

I wish you well.

1999-2004 citalopram 10 to 20mg with 2-3 withdrawal attempts.
2004 fluvoxamine for 4-5 months aprox. Changed to venlafaxine because of the headaches and dizziness.
2005-March 2014 venlafaxine usually starting on 150mg and coming down to 75 or 37.5. Several withdrawal attempts.
In March 2014 I stopped taking 37.5mg of venlafaxine without tapering.

Went through 5 months of confusion, anxiety, insomnia and desperation. From then I am very slowly recovering, on windows and waves.

Symptoms: muscle stiffness and aches, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, memory loss, inability to concentrate or think straight, difficulty to speak, difficulty to read (improving).

Taking omega3, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E and probiotics.

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Jose, Our symptoms look similar and we're both at around the same time in withdrawal. I'm starting to see some things go down in intensity and had a glorious 4 day window last month, but you're right, it's a stage of frustration and restlessness because we're not acute anymore and just trying to hold on, but we're not predictably moving through our days and able to plan. We've put in a good amount of time already. 

 

And, yes, the more we accept that there is a reason behind our experiences, the more we are able to melt into them. And, hopefully we can grow from them and serve others because of the experience. 

 

A friend reminds me "When you fall down, be sure to pick something up while you're there."

 

I bet we're "picking up" a lot. 

 

Keep me up-to-date on your progress!

Yes, there is a reason behind our experiences.

Thanks for your words and all the best in your journey, Greentrain. We'll be in touch.

 

"when you fall down be sure to pick something up when your down there" 

 

I love that... and I bet we all are picking something up when we are down there.

 

I went cold turkey not by choice.  I wish I could say I stopped the drugs and all was easy if anything this is what I picked up while I was down there. It is going to suck and there will be bad days and symptoms that only people who have been there understand. There are those who came before you and they have some things they picked up when they were down that may help you... and you can find them in the self care section. Along with a lot of things not to do in some respect I wish I had more information on the what not to do when I started this experience way beyond the not to go ct... but after your in it... don't try supplements at full dose for instance... I did eventually find this on another site but had already been injured by it by then. 

 

I think it is true we ct folks have a harder time of it. Our symptoms are extreme and some taper folks walk by looking at us like we are the car crash that is ok... I don't want anyone who don't need what I have to say to get things stuck in their heads as if you don't need it the very idea it could happen would scare the crap out of some. Fear and worry about normal I think when you body/brain goes wonky it is natural to be fearful and to worry ... however this is exactly the sort of thing that keeps the already out of whack body ... out of whack.   I know it will happen but try to limit it as much as you can or if you find yourself just suddenly there in a state of panic stop! stop and change it... do a deep relaxation meditation - walk... do what you have found works for you. 

 

There is no better suggestion I could make then to build a tool kit of things that help you.  Self care section again... you will need more than one tool to rebuild your self it can't be done with just hammer imagine building a house with just a hammer it can't be done the more tools you have the easier the job. Try many things and keep what works.  If something that use to work is not working that does not mean it won't work later... this is why we need more than one tool... you just never know build a big tool chest and fill it up. 

 

One thing we all need is a safe place... make one for yourself... I have two down from three...car died but it use to be a safe place. Bed and couch if nobody is home I know very common but if you practice being safe there and upping the effects the better it will work when you really need it. 

 

I can't advocate cold turkey after what I have lived thru but I can say it is survivable and most of it will end. It takes a long time I wish it didn't but it seems to. 

peace all

 

Thanks btdt for sharing your experience on this.

Rebuilding one self is an incredibly hard task in these circumstances, but is also an opportunity to find those strengths within that never arose before.

I have found that consistency is key, but I used to forget that I also have to consistently treat myself with love and understanding, not only demanding duties and habits. Treating yourself with compassion is something excruciatingly hard to do when anxiety and suffering take control, but this self compassion (far from self pity or self indulgence) is fundamental.

I don't recommend quitting cold turkey to anyone, either. It's a really painful experience, but things do improve even so.

1999-2004 citalopram 10 to 20mg with 2-3 withdrawal attempts.
2004 fluvoxamine for 4-5 months aprox. Changed to venlafaxine because of the headaches and dizziness.
2005-March 2014 venlafaxine usually starting on 150mg and coming down to 75 or 37.5. Several withdrawal attempts.
In March 2014 I stopped taking 37.5mg of venlafaxine without tapering.

Went through 5 months of confusion, anxiety, insomnia and desperation. From then I am very slowly recovering, on windows and waves.

Symptoms: muscle stiffness and aches, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, memory loss, inability to concentrate or think straight, difficulty to speak, difficulty to read (improving).

Taking omega3, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E and probiotics.

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Wise words Josè.

Felicidades.

4 years aprox. on 150mgs.Effexor for situational major depression.No AD before.
Tapered 150-0mgs in 3 months.

Tapered Quetiapine,Xanax in the last 18 months.NO med of any kind anymore.
First 3 months off acute w/d
Protracted w/d ever since.
Symptoms:Anxiety,anhedonia,insomnia,tinnitus,PSSD

04/13/2014 Awful Relapse.Recovered fairly fast.

3 years and 4 months off.

waves and windows.Very much recovered.

November 2015,health issue.Setback.
 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Sorry, bit late to this thread... But no problem with a rapid taper for me, paroxetine and sertraline.

Was on paroxetine for 10 years but had to stop as it simply quit working. Yep, pooped out. I tapered my 20mg over 6 weeks right before stopping completely. The only withdrawal I experienced was minor brain zaps but they cleared up after 2 weeks and were more of an annoyance than anything else. Several months later, started sertraline, only on for a few months but tapered over 2 weeks. Again, no problems, just a few minor brain zaps for a week or so.

 

After being off SSRIs for several months, I've just started fluoxetine. It is clear to me, SSRIs work really well with very few side effects and very minor withdrawal, which is why I've started back on them. Would much rather live a comfortable life on SSRIs than pretend that they're evil.

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 I've seen a few of your post's today, P.S. Why are you here? You are not helpful. In fact , you are just very annoying. You are argumentative and hostile to this  site's aims, in helping people to withdraw from this "poison". If it is all so "easy" for you, and you don't think there's a problem , why are you hanging around, bothering us. Please withhold your immature and uninformed comments, until you have educated yourself, and have a "slight clue",  about what you're talking about.  People here, are in a lot of pain, and your flippant comments , are not helping anyone. Go and play your games somewhere else.

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
.
         

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 I've seen a few of your post's today, P.S. Why are you here? You are not helpful. In fact , you are just very annoying. You are argumentative and hostile to this  site's aims, in helping people to withdraw from this "poison". If it is all so "easy" for you, and you don't think there's a problem , why are you hanging around, bothering us. Please withhold your immature and uninformed comments, until you have educated yourself, and have a "slight clue",  about what you're talking about.  People here, are in a lot of pain, and your flippant comments , are not helping anyone. Go and play your games somewhere else.

The title of this thread is "Cold turkey or rapid taper success stories?" So I posted to say that yes, I am a success story after rapidly tapering an SSRI. Not sure how that in any way relates to 'immature and uninformed comments' and having a 'slight clue'. If you're going to critizine my comments, maybe you should actually look at what I have written in relation to the thread title. I find your post rather insulting actually.

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Sorry, bit late to this thread... But no problem with a rapid taper for me, paroxetine and sertraline.

Was on paroxetine for 10 years but had to stop as it simply quit working. Yep, pooped out. I tapered my 20mg over 6 weeks right before stopping completely. The only withdrawal I experienced was minor brain zaps but they cleared up after 2 weeks and were more of an annoyance than anything else. Several months later, started sertraline, only on for a few months but tapered over 2 weeks. Again, no problems, just a few minor brain zaps for a week or so.

 

After being off SSRIs for several months, I've just started fluoxetine. It is clear to me, SSRIs work really well with very few side effects and very minor withdrawal, which is why I've started back on them. Would much rather live a comfortable life on SSRIs than pretend that they're 

 

Here is the thing with going off and on ADs .

A bit of my own story I went off them all the time when I was younger I was drugged 18 years total.  I would quit have some issues I thought were gone and get in trouble again down the road and have to go back on, just like you. 

 

This is what I did not know ssri antidepressant withdrawal is delayed :) neat eh?

When I quit effexor it became clear as day but I still did not have any real information and I did not find any till 8 months into cold turkey when I found it finally it was not from a doctor that I learned but from a site like this

 

I quit effexor after being told by a neurologist I needed to stop after being on it 7 years I had neurological problems.  Another drug was tried and failed.. actually a few others were tired and failed.. I tried to go back on effexor that failed too... so there I was cold turkey... out of options

 

I was not too bad the first 6wks I could handle it but around the 7th wk I got what seemed like the flu went to bed and stayed there for 3 months unable to eat completely dizzy and crazy.... bit time delayed withdrawal. 

 

I use to say to people on another site if you think you quit and you are fine ... come back and tell me again in a year.. lets see if your still fine or if your back on drugs... it can take months for the delayed withdrawal to hit.  

 

A lot of people think it is return of symptoms original illness .. 

 

Not for me.. I was put on ADs for pain in my leg.. depression anxiety ptsd all those other things I got after I was on antidepressants for years. 

 

I hope you use this information to help yourself... 

you may want to do a search of SA for delayed withdrawal. 

 

I wish you peace.  

 

At this point I still have crap going on that I think is related to taking all those ADs for years but I am out of bed mostly sane most of the time... :)

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 :)

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Sorry, bit late to this thread... But no problem with a rapid taper for me, paroxetine and sertraline.

Was on paroxetine for 10 years but had to stop as it simply quit working. Yep, pooped out. I tapered my 20mg over 6 weeks right before stopping completely. The only withdrawal I experienced was minor brain zaps but they cleared up after 2 weeks and were more of an annoyance than anything else. Several months later, started sertraline, only on for a few months but tapered over 2 weeks. Again, no problems, just a few minor brain zaps for a week or so.

 

After being off SSRIs for several months, I've just started fluoxetine. It is clear to me, SSRIs work really well with very few side effects and very minor withdrawal, which is why I've started back on them. Would much rather live a comfortable life on SSRIs than pretend that they're evil.

 

I'm curious, why are you here? Why are you participating in this forum, if you're happy with your drugs and you like how they affect you? There are so many other forums on the Internet for people who want to discuss taking psych meds. ("Crazymeds" is a good one, in spite of the name.)

 

This particular forum is to support people who are suffering from the effects of long term use, suffering from the effects of withdrawal, or wanting to taper off.  It seems to me that you might be in the wrong place, for either giving or receiving support in your particular situation.  You might try doing a bit more Googling to find the right place to hang out; it doesn't sound like we are it.

 

For other folks: It's not unusual for people to be able to come off ADs or other psych meds fairly easily for one, two or even three times. If they can stay off the drugs, they're usually okay. My own daughter took an AD for a few months and then quit and she has never needed to take one again (not that she would, now that she's seen what happened to me with them).

 

And it's not unusual for people to feel improvement when they first start taking the meds (although statistically, people feel about the same amount of improvement with placebo).

 

The problems seem to come with longer-term use, and with actually managing to stay OFF the meds.  Symptoms of depression seem to return, or begin (in the case of the many people who are given these drugs for other reasons besides depression) within three to six months after discontinuing. The typical course of depression now (unlike fifty years ago, before the common use of these drugs) is lifelong and chronic. (It used to be statistically most common for people to have a single incidence, recover, and then go on and life their lives normally.)

 

Over time, the depression becomes refractory to treatment with any drugs at all, and most of us have found that other health problems (mental, emotional and physical) emerge. Many of us have found that we've lost the ability to do things we used to do easily. It's easy for me to understand why the number of people on SSI disability due to mental illness has skyrocketed since the introduction of these drugs, rather than gone down, as you would expect from a treatment that is actually effective.

 

For more information about this I would recommend Robert Whitaker's book Anatomy of an Epidemic, which goes into extensive discussion of all the above and is exhaustively researched and contains references to hundreds of studies.

 

Also I have to say: my idea of a success story in coming off psych meds would mean coming off and staying off, not coming off and then needing to go back on another one. That story is, sadly, all too common; it happened to most of the people who end up on this forum, including me. Things do not get better over time, unfortunately. 

 

Oh, and PS: I was a staunch defender of psych meds for many years. I was suicidal and dysfunctional on them, but when I tried to quit taking them (never with a slow enough taper) I got even worse, so it seemed to me the drugs were keeping me alive. I can't criticize someone who defends these drugs, since I did the same thing for so long, before I figured out what they had done to me. So I'm not saying you shouldn't feel the way you do. I'm just saying that this forum might not be the place for you, right now.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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Sorry, bit late to this thread... But no problem with a rapid taper for me, paroxetine and sertraline.

Was on paroxetine for 10 years but had to stop as it simply quit working. Yep, pooped out. I tapered my 20mg over 6 weeks right before stopping completely. The only withdrawal I experienced was minor brain zaps but they cleared up after 2 weeks and were more of an annoyance than anything else. Several months later, started sertraline, only on for a few months but tapered over 2 weeks. Again, no problems, just a few minor brain zaps for a week or so.

 

After being off SSRIs for several months, I've just started fluoxetine. It is clear to me, SSRIs work really well with very few side effects and very minor withdrawal, which is why I've started back on them. Would much rather live a comfortable life on SSRIs than pretend that they're evil.

 

Any chance we can have this post deleted?

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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Sorry, bit late to this thread... But no problem with a rapid taper for me, paroxetine and sertraline.

Was on paroxetine for 10 years but had to stop as it simply quit working. Yep, pooped out. I tapered my 20mg over 6 weeks right before stopping completely. The only withdrawal I experienced was minor brain zaps but they cleared up after 2 weeks and were more of an annoyance than anything else. Several months later, started sertraline, only on for a few months but tapered over 2 weeks. Again, no problems, just a few minor brain zaps for a week or so.

 

After being off SSRIs for several months, I've just started fluoxetine. It is clear to me, SSRIs work really well with very few side effects and very minor withdrawal, which is why I've started back on them. Would much rather live a comfortable life on SSRIs than pretend that they're evil.

 

Good for you, purplesky. An adverse reaction will quickly change your mind, as it has just about everyone who has joined this site.

 

As the purpose of this site is to provide information and support for going off drugs, and you don't need that information or support, your continuing to write such posts can only be viewed as a deliberate annoyance.

 

If you continue in this vein, you will accrue warnings. Upon the 4th warning, you will be banned. If you don't want to participate in good faith, you may wish to stop visiting.

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.

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After being off SSRIs for several months, I've just started fluoxetine.

 

If you are back on an SSRI, your story is obviously NOT one of success, but failure. You failed at coming off an SSRI and staying off.

 

If these drugs are working so well for you, as you claim, I would expect to see a pattern where you take your medicine every day and then carry on living a happy, productive, meaningful life.

 

But reality seems to be that you keep going on and off these drugs, for reasons which aren't clear, and you are posting here in quite an argumentative manner, for reasons which also aren't clear and I'm wondering if perhaps the drugs are contributing to your confusion and hostility.

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

 

 

 

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From time to time we do get people here that are unaware of the consequences of their 'pro medication' bias. I have seen it generally be an exercise in futility to attempt to change their minds - until the stuff turns on them and bites them in the butt. Only then may they become teachable.

 

Generally best to ignore them and don't engage. Eventually they move on (or Alto shows them the door.)

 

We believe what we believe, each one of us in our own way. Me? I am anti drug now, even to the extent of counseling against antihistamines and NSAIDS, but I generally don't seek out venues to evangelize about it. I've got my hands full recovering from the damage those awful drugs left me in. Perhaps things would have been different had they been discontinued when they did their job but that was not the case. The modern SNRI I was on pretty much erased 8 years of my life and has damaged my ability to properly manage my life and my affairs.

 

PS, you should just go away and find a group of like-minded people, you are rubbing us the wrong way and it is difficult to be cordial to you. I read through all of your posts once I saw what had been happening and believe me, you have been treated very gently. Best to quit while you are ahead. This is not the place to expound on your theories and experiences. We just aren't receptive to them.

 

Come back when you need what we have to offer.

What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878

 

July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site.

 

Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey.

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Sorry, bit late to this thread... But no problem with a rapid taper for me, paroxetine and sertraline.

Was on paroxetine for 10 years but had to stop as it simply quit working. Yep, pooped out. I tapered my 20mg over 6 weeks right before stopping completely. The only withdrawal I experienced was minor brain zaps but they cleared up after 2 weeks and were more of an annoyance than anything else. Several months later, started sertraline, only on for a few months but tapered over 2 weeks. Again, no problems, just a few minor brain zaps for a week or so.

 

After being off SSRIs for several months, I've just started fluoxetine. It is clear to me, SSRIs work really well with very few side effects and very minor withdrawal, which is why I've started back on them. Would much rather live a comfortable life on SSRIs than pretend that they're evil.

 

Any chance we can have this post deleted?

 

I think we should leave it as I too was just like this person once thought I was quitting without wd and getting back on ok.  I did not know the other health problems I had were in any way related to the antidepressants until I started to do research long long after I was off them all.  

 

Others may come along here tempted by the title of the thread and be thinking the same thing this person is thinking they are getting along ok doing things this way best they can hope perhaps because they do not know they are needing to go back on the drugs all the time because they did not do a slow slow taper off them and allow their brains to heal the changes the drug caused ... very very slowly which is the only way the brain can heal. 

 

They don't know there may be side effects causing greater health problems should I list some for those people... just a couple: excessive periods or other hormonal problems... digestive issues... sleep wake problems ... highly sexual thoughts .. or not wanting any sex ever... no orgasms...not feeling love.. blunted emotions. 

There are many more but that is enough to make me mad again.  So I will leave it and suggest that anyone with doubt search the site for side effects. 

 

We can't help but feel passionately about what we know about these drugs considering how our lives have all been changed by them and we all know that when we were on them many of us thought they were good too because we did not know any better then.  Part of that is the information was not easy to find and part of it was we did not know to look for it as we did not think it possible any drug could be the source of so many problems and our own doctors would not know and tell us all about it. 

 

I hope we can cut this person some slack and let her run up her warning if she must.. in the mean time there is a chance to spare one more human being the fate we have had... I hope we are big enough to take some a bit of crap in the hopes she sees it... maybe there is a chance she will. Even a small chance is worth some aggravation to spare one soul the agony.. to me it is worth it..I know the chance is small... . that is my 5 cents. 

 

I hope she sticks around and does a lot of reading before she posts again.

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 :)

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it is not easy for people who do not fall in withdrawal chaos to understand, even close family daily drugged are claiming drugs save their life,

myself i have discovered the joke very late, i could never imagine doctors are destroying me, i had to not trust them, they were my enemy, who could think such a situation! the doctor is deteriorating me...impossible

bennn , yes, they were giving me horrendous diseases, and i come to them for a single small panic attack...and i paid them, criminals...

Coming back to the topic, a cold turkey gives much suffering first months, can give seizures, but after, the problem is the same than slow taper, 

slow taper is not a guarantee of healing, testimonies show that it is similar,

of course, i do not say to cold turkey, because of risks first months,

what can be noticed is when the patient is young, is not a long termer, he has more chances to heal better and quicker than a long termer, no more young,

what plays also is the amount daily taken, one or several drugs etc

i agree with Shipko who noticed(and i know french people concerned), as long as you are on drug(for long termer generally), you can be bad or "well" surviving, but when you decide to taper, there is a big risk after stopping all drugs(even slow taper) , after one year clean, you can fall in hell, unable to work, eat, sleep etc

this is something i have also noticed, on me , on french friends, knowing today people taking and changing drugs who have a better quality of life than i have,

but i do not regret to have stopped these neurological poisons...

myself, before stopping paxil, i had side-effects, but nothing to compare one year after being clean...

for anxiety 

12 years paxil - cold turkey 1,5 month - switch celexa 1 year taper; total 13 years on brain meds 

67 years old - 9 years  med free

 

in protracted withdrawal

rigidity standing and walking, dryness gougerot-szoegren, sleep deteriorate,

function as have a lack of nerves, improving have been very little 

 

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