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blasteen: intro/should I go back on?


blasteen

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Hi,

 

I have noticed that when I go through periods of waves my skin turns darker and smokey and my hair get thick, dry and hard to control. when a wave passes I feel my skin getting brighter healthier and my hair turns soft and manageable. I have seen this happening repeatedly over the past two years, is this releated to my stomach ? anyone else noticed this? anything helps?

April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

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  • Member

Hi blasteen and welcome to SA.

 

Would you like to start a topic in our Introductions forum and tell us about yourself? You might get more responses that way if members knew a bit more about your history. Instructions are in the blurb below.

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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hi I am from the old  paxilprogress.com, my sticky is pretty self explanatory

April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Blasteen,

 

Welcome to SA, there are many refugees from PP here.  I gather from them that this site is organised a bit differently to PP.  There is a place for everything and everything in its place!   This is your intro thread where you can share what's happening for you, ask questions etc.  One intro thread per member.   

 

How are you at the moment?

 

D

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

Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014.

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

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

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

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

 

DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017

 

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

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Hi Blasteen.  Saw the name and thought I'd drop by to say hi.  I don't have any answers for you but nothing about this w/d process surprises me anymore.  Take care.

Personal history of GAD and 4 melancholic depressive episodes - two treated with Amityptline

Family history of Bipolar Disorder - goes back at least 3 generations

Adult son with autism, ADHD, intellectual disability and Bipolar II

Put on Aropax / Paxil in July 1997 for anther episode.  Decision to stay on it - worst decision of my life.

Began to poop out in late 2008. Switched to Lexapro March 2009.  Made me suicidal.  Tried Cymbalta for 19 days. Horrible w/d.

Found PP and RI'd Aropax at about the same time - August 2009.  Began slow taper in 2010. Crashed in 13-11mg range in mid 2013.  Switched to Citalopram 21 Oct 2013 in an attempt to stabilise.

 

There are things that are known, and things that are unknown; in between are doors - Anonymous

 

https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/longing-for-life/id958423649  My book about my unsuccessful journey through IVF

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Junior, Thnx, yea i knw everything is possible during this process

 

dalsaan. Its pretty hard to give a general overview of how I am doing overall. Its been two years since I started my taper and 20 months since i had my last dose of paxil. or any other ADs. thankfully I am not as bad I was last year, I had one of the horrible waves 2-3 months ago which went on for few weeks. 

 

the WD feelings do come and go in varying strengths. still quite hard to see what is WD related and what is my old self. 

 

50-60 % time I am able to get my work done.

 

at times, i am strarting to feels as I am in the position of helping myself psychologically and can work on my issues

April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

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  • Administrator

Welcome, blasteen.

 

What withdrawal symptoms did you have that went away? Did you find any supplements or treatments to be effective?

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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Severe Acne on face and chest went away after 8 months. Nausea was severe at start but slowly faded away after 9 months, I still get it when my body is stressed somehow.

Agitation is better, usually get it in short phases, but if a bad wave comes I have it allot, I am talking about tradive type agitation. it also appears if I stress myself with a med. I can never know when it comes or how strong it is or how long it will stay for.

 

Anxitey, Anxitey in General secnse changes somewhat severley from time to time, which makes me thing it is somehow related to WD. It's at its worth during a wave.

 

The psychologichal WD effect which usually is a combination of being very anxious, hostile towards people, capable of going to breakdown easily, agitation, self hate, depressed mood and hoplessness only get severe when there is a wave, but is weaker at mostly other times if it comes.

 

Crying spells have reduced, only happens more during waves.

 

The main thing bothering me most of times now is appearance anxitey and poor self image which also causes pain during wave

 

in terms of Suplements, I have tried SJW, Magnesium, Calcium, vitamin d, B vitamins complex, b12, whey protein, BCA's, fish oil, multivitamins, detoxing agents, benzoyl peroxite, alminium chloride. . . . . . . . . 

 

All I can say with Sups, is as you progress through withdrawal, our hormones and electrolytes are going haywire and slowly are getting in an equilibirum, thus a supplement you take today might work and help you but it might not work the other day and it might even make you worth, trying to figure out what is good to take and when to take it is just impossible. (just my opinion) and as people get slowly better they will care less about sups,

 

But, I took SJW during the first month of WD, it slightly helped with depression and anxitey for two days but it got me even worth after that

Magnesium, didn't really helped during a wave, but made the initial windows like euphoria, It also increase Nausea and Anxitey, i am possibly sensitive to mag because it induced heart palpitations, irregular heart beats, chest and heart pains.

calcium/d, B vitamins, multivitamins, detoxing agents: nothing helpful, at time might have even felt bad.

 

Fish Oil: increased agitation

 

BCA's: did help to replenish energy levels, and at time helped nausea during late stages of WD

 

Hope this helps

April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

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  • Administrator

Yes, thanks. Please let us know how you're 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

as i noted earlier Its pretty hard to give a general overview of how I am doing overall. Its been two years since I started my taper and 20 months since i had my last dose of paxil. or any other ADs. thankfully I am not as bad I was last year, I had one of the horrible waves 2-3 months ago which went on for few weeks. 


 


the WD feelings do come and go in varying strengths. still quite hard to see what is WD related and what is my old self. 


 


50-60 % time I am able to get my work done.


 


at times, i am strarting to feels as I am in the position of helping myself psychologically and can work on my issues, but this feeling of faith/hope and pain/pleasure wave/windows change from time to time which does not allow me to properly and constantly stick to my plans and aims  

April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

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  • Administrator

That you have seen some improvement, however gradual, is a good sign. Some day, you'll be writing your success story!

 

Please see our Symptoms and Self-Care forum http://tinyurl.com/3hq949zfor more healing suggestions.
 

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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  • 8 months later...

Hello everybody,

 

Since may of this year I have become more anxious and depressed and have been going through continous burst of what now I have come to understand to be depersonaliztion. I have also been gone through many gastrointestinal problems, such as bloating, long periods of constipation, stomach aches, gas and indigestion. I am quite lost on how all this has happened and what I can do to help myself out of this ??

 

 

below is a timeline of how the symptoms have progressed

 

- I was  on septrin may 2014 - mar 2015 for some prostatis issue which did not help, so i stopped it

                     - I went through couple of weeks of constipation , in multiple settings

- I was feeling generally good, and had good windows oct 2015 - feb 2015

- jan 2015- feb 2015, I started  to practice mediation more and more

                    - I experienced  some symptoms of what now I have come to understand to be associated with depersonalization 

- Mar 2015- may 2015, travelled to south-east asia during the warm season, and was sick for a long time, mainly with symptoms of depersonalization, dizziness and sinusitis

April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

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  • Administrator

Blasteen, I moved your post here. Your Intro topic is the place for those "what should I do?" questions. Please bookmark it or "follow" it so you can find it again.
 
Quite often, antibiotics adversely effect digestion. They can also revive withdrawal syndrome or make it worse.
 
You need to heal your gut. See

Digestive problems: Nausea, Diarrhea, Bloating, GERD

Irritable bowel syndrome: Gut bacteria and what you can do

Probiotics and gut health

and other topics about diet in our Symptoms and Self-care forum  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/

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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  • 3 weeks later...

Thnx for moving this here. So everyone can see it

April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

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  • 1 year later...

Hi All,

 

Now, It has been close to 4 years since I have become drug-free. The hardest part (or the hell) was the first 14-16 months. One of the major issues amongst others which I think still is lingering is sensitivity to medicine and supplements.

 

Few months after quitting ADs, I got a severe case of chronic prostatitis which has extremely impacted my life negatively in past 3.2 years and worthen the withdrawal experience. I think, I had this condition before starting antidepressants, and antidepressants were masking this problem. The treatment for this condition which started as a long-term antibiotic use failed to treat the condition completely and it has given me severe GI problems, forcing me to a highly restrictive diet. Meanwhile, the pain and suffering from prostatitis is still ongoing and my aims at controlling the pain through lifestyle changes tend to fail at times. 

 

Since the source of this condition is unknown, all the physicians I have so far visited are advising me to take some meds such as Amitriptyline, Lyrica, alpha-blockers, benzos or beta-blockers.

 

Based on my past experience, I was on worth points of my life while I dealt with antidepressants, my life was quite awful (no happiness, depressed, no drive for life, low libido, more anxiety, I could not think clearly, it impact my work) and life just became hell for more than a year when I tried to quit them . Thus, I don't want to force my life towards those problems again and I don't want to experience the withdrawal again, and I feel this would become the case if I do take something like Amitriptyline

 

I had taken Lyrica before, but I don't know if it would have any bad effects on me or lead to a hard withdrawal, since I took this medication with Seroxat, based on what I have read it can very much have similar effects as antidepressants and do require a taper,  thus I am scared to take this again.

 

Similarly, I am unsure with regards to the impact that alpha/beta blockers would have on me and I am too scared to take them. I have tried alpha-blockers for 2-3 days, since my doctor forced me, didn't really feel any improvement in my condition but on the second day I noticed a severe loss of libido as well as a feeling of numbness and depression.

 

So, do you think, if it's really worthed to take these drugs again despite going through this rough path

April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

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Thanks for taking the time to do an update blasteen.

Sorry to read of an ongoing prostatitis problem

 

If i was you i wouldnt  touch another psychotropic drug again ever!

 

By the way i think you mean 'dropped by 5mg per month ' not 0.5 mg as you state in your drug sig.

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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Thanks for taking the time to do an update blasteen.

Sorry to read of an ongoing prostatitis problem

 

If i was you i wouldnt  touch another psychotropic drug again ever!

 

By the way i thinhk you mean 'dropped by 5mg per month ' not 0.5 mg as you state in your drug sig.

Thnks, its fixed now.

 

Would all the drugs I stated Fall under the psychotropic category?

For sure, I dont want to touch them again but pain sometimes forces me to think otherwise.

April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

Link to comment

Yes they sure are. They all effect mind emotions and behaviour. 

 

Sorry you have to endure pain ..what about acupuncture or alternative options to drugs.

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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  • 1 month later...

Hi All,


 


Just thought to make an update. Since, I last made an update I had to go under a gastroscopy with sedation two weeks ago, I was given Medazepam for sedation. I had no major issues, however, after 2 days, my concentration and cognitive capabilities have declined substantially


. I have been finding it hard to come up with adequate words while trying to make up sentences during talking or writing, and sometimes I forget what I was trying to say or write.


 


My job involves R&D, and I need to read allot of scientific papers and solve technical issues. The lack of concentration and brain fog is making this task quite hard as I can't hold and analyze the information I read and can't gather everything I know efficiently while trying to solve a problem. now and I need to read something or think about things few times until I can partially understand it. I had experienced something like this years ago while taking antidepressants and it was worth during the WD.


 


What could this be. Can this be another Withdrawl, has anyone experienced this 


April 2005 - 2007

Started Cipramil for two weeks but stopped due to side effects

started 20mg Lexapro

added another low dose AD to lexapro

 

jan 2007 - dec 2008 

cymbalta 40mg-120mg

 

jan 2009 - jan 2013

seroxat 20mg

Lyrica (75-150mg) x2 daily added at some point and increased over time

 

until jan 2013

decrease lyrica to 0mg

 

jan 2013 - April 2013

tapered seroxat to 0 mg  in 0.5mg drops per month

 

June 2013 Quit smoking

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