compsports Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/she-fought-for-patients-rights-then-she-was-put-in-a-hospital-against-her-will/2015/01/31/c306f01c-a1b0-11e4-903f-9f2faf7cd9fe_story.html?hpid=z9 This is about Alison Hymes who had a blog about mental health rights for many years and worked actively in Virginia as a mental health activist against overwhelming odds. To sum up her situation, she ended up having a kidney transplant due to lithium toxicity. And then for various reasons, ended up being committed to the state hospital more than once for extended stays. Now, she is in an assisted living facility. Pretty horrifying story as she got committed due to the loosened commitment standards in Virginia which came about after the VA tech shootings which was wrongly blamed on the shooter not getting timely mental health treatment. Instead of being committed due to her being perceived as dangerous, it was due to her being seen as not being able to take care of herself in a satisfactory manner. So they decide to shoot her up with antipsychotics. Yeah, that will solve the problem. Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010 Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006 Finished taper on June 10, 2010 Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016 Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator JanCarol Posted February 2, 2015 Moderator Share Posted February 2, 2015 Oh lordy! There but for the grace of God go I. When I read about her symptoms, her hygiene, her lack of control of her spit, the horrible burns / bruises on her hands & more hygiene stuff, all I could think was: she's so doped up she cannot smell the poo, or feel her teeth, or see the food on her clothes. She blames her dentures, and here - she is in the peer support movement - but doesn't have the clarity to see that The Drugs are the Problem (thank you Dr. Breggin). This is as clear a case of spellbinding as I think can be found. And - sadly - I know people on this path. They are not as bad off as she is - but - there but for the grace of God go any of us. Phooey on the law, phoeey on the system, it's not at all compassionate. The compassionate thing would be to give her a chance to get free of the chemicals. But she has to see it to do it - and as long as she is institutionalised - one of her arguments for the court - she will never get away from it. Very sad, thanks for sharing CS. "Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again. My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices. A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia. CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013. Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine). Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 - Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years on Lithium). Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made. The tedious thread (my intro): JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium The happy thread (my success story): JanCarol - Undiagnosed Off all bipolar drugs My own blog: https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/ I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdt Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 There for the grace of God go any of us. I wonder if her work in the movement affected her care in any way. We can only speculate. What a horrible way to go out. WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG Had a car accident in 85 Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89 Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above. One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentor ang Posted March 3, 2015 Mentor Share Posted March 3, 2015 I was wandering around, choking on my own tongue, it was so swollen.. And what did I say? I don't want to talk, or "phi don wanna fork" thats the way it sounds with a swollen tongue ! .... Luckily they gave me an injection (yeah emergency antidote).... Maybe that is why I am determined to get off this stuff, only way to stay sane... off the stuff. Only way to have any respect, to have a voice, not on medication, and staying sane. so did this lady believe her bipolar label? 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 wave5/2 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 SJW15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW:::: 28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::; 18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump. 23/9 3mg....., 27/9 0mg. Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg............. LIGHTBULB MOMENT, I have MTHFR 2x mutations. CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it. Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsports Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 I was wandering around, choking on my own tongue, it was so swollen.. And what did I say? I don't want to talk, or "phi don wanna fork" thats the way it sounds with a swollen tongue ! .... Luckily they gave me an injection (yeah emergency antidote).... Maybe that is why I am determined to get off this stuff, only way to stay sane... off the stuff. Only way to have any respect, to have a voice, not on medication, and staying sane. so did this lady believe her bipolar label? I don't think she did until she was sucked backed into the system which understandably beat her down. BTDT, no doubt in my mind her work in the movement affected her care. Call me a cynic but that is what I believe. Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010 Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006 Finished taper on June 10, 2010 Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016 Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meimeiquest Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 That is so sad. Based on my nephew's brief experience, that is the standard of care....tragically. She was just connected enough to have it documented. 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsports Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 That is so sad. Based on my nephew's brief experience, that is the standard of care....tragically. She was just connected enough to have it documented. Because of your nephew's adverse reactions, there was no way I was going to take steroids post operatively. If the ENT had insisted, I would have found a new doctor because there is no doubt in my mind, I would have been susceptible to the psychiatric side effects which we all know would have been a disaster. How is he doing by the way? Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010 Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006 Finished taper on June 10, 2010 Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016 Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoast Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 They mention the case of the man who stabbed his dad: "She was still at Western in November 2013, when local officials said they couldn’t find a psychiatric bed for Austin “Gus” Deeds, then 24, before an emergency protection order ran out, although it later turned out that two private hospitals did have beds. Gus attacked his father, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath), with a knife the next day, then shot and killed himself."But THAT GUY was on and off meds. Sounds like a genuine schizophrenic before the drugs, but we know what the drugs to to schizophrenics and now people are starting to say they shouldn't be on drugs at all, because drugs worse long-term outcomes. Case in point? http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/27/creigh-deeds-no-reason-to-believe-there-would-be-any-violence/Plus, if she hadn't been in a bed involuntarily, the stabber could have been admitted. 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. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meimeiquest Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 That is so sad. Based on my nephew's brief experience, that is the standard of care....tragically. She was just connected enough to have it documented. Because of your nephew's adverse reactions, there was no way I was going to take steroids post operatively. If the ENT had insisted, I would have found a new doctor because there is no doubt in my mind, I would have been susceptible to the psychiatric side effects which we all know would have been a disaster. How is he doing by the way? I so agree, especially "prophylactically" when nothing has even gone amiss yet. He is doing pretty well, had a tough time getting over the mono. He was in a brand new job when it happened and resigned, I think too fast, because he couldn't do the twelve hours a day that it required. But he has moved back to TX and started a new job. Had some mild depression while recovering but it ended, no further psychosis/mania/insomnia. His health insurance is going after his docs saying they mishandled his care, leading to gross unnecessary costs. I don't know where they will start, it was a total mess from first visit to walk-in clinic. My sister had a nurse look at some records with her. She said his liver function was so poor he could have died. He says he'll never see another doctor again. One doctor, an allergist who dx'd the mono, has been fairly cooperative, although denying the prednisone could have caused it. When my nephew's records came, it was his request and a 43-year-old female's chart. And that's the good doctor. My sister has been looking at legal recourse, but it seems this mess is "usual and customary" care...four docs and a NP all said the same thing. 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Jemima Posted March 3, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 3, 2015 This is horrifying, my worst nightmare. I'm sure the psychiatric establishment would label me paranoid because I have fears of something like this happening to me. (I've just started writing a book about my own experiences, which will be fictionalized and--I hope published--under a pseudonym.) The old saying that 'you're not paranoid if someone's really after you' doesn't seem to have gained wide acceptance in the psychiatric community. Thanks for posting this, compsports. Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's RazorIntroduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/ Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoast Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 My dad is currently a female according to his MRI clinic. I went in for surgery in 2013 to have my chemo port removed. The surgeon's orders said to install a chemo port. In emergency once I told the intake nurse I had just discontinued 3 or 4 psych meds. Her notes say that I was on those meds, not just off them. Etc etc etc. (The thing about expanded medical insurance access is that yes, some people will get medical care they need, but others will get mistakes and malpractice that they don't need!) 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. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Songbird Posted March 4, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 4, 2015 Holy moly! 17 medications! 2001–2002 paroxetine 2003 citalopram 2004-2008 paroxetine (various failed tapers) 2008 paroxetine slow taper down to 2016 Aug off paroxetine2016 citalopram May 20mg Oct 15mg … slow taper down2018 citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg 18 Nov 3.8mg 2019 15 Mar 3.6mg 21 May 3.4mg 26 Dec 3.2mg 2020 19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg 2021 29 Aug 2.4mg 15 Nov 2.3mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdt Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Holy moly! 17 medications! Where did you see that I don't see it? WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG Had a car accident in 85 Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89 Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above. One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsports Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Holy moly! 17 medications! Where did you see that I don't see it? Here you go: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/she-fought-for-patients-rights-then-she-was-put-in-a-hospital-against-her-will/2015/01/31/c306f01c-a1b0-11e4-903f-9f2faf7cd9fe_story.html?hpid=z9 After she was released from Western in August 2012, Hymes was allowed to return to her Charlottesville condominium. For the first few months, Hymes cooked with her home health-care worker and walked to a nearby store for groceries. Then she started to stay in bed and stopped taking at least some of her 17 medications. Four months after her release, Hymes called the police, accusing her home care worker of stealing from her. Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010 Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006 Finished taper on June 10, 2010 Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016 Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoast Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 We don't know if all 17 were psych meds, but even if they were not, she would be a cornucopia of side effects. What if she is also on statins(memory loss, muscular weakness, damage to mitochondria). She is an impressive person to have maintained a sense of her human rights through all this. The photo of her on a bed with all the junk in the side table--could that not be any of us at one time or another? 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. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Songbird Posted March 8, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 8, 2015 We don't know if all 17 were psych meds, but even if they were not, she would be a cornucopia of side effects. What if she is also on statins(memory loss, muscular weakness, damage to mitochondria). I guess some of them were related to the kidney transplant...? Even so, 17 is hard to get my head around. How would anyone know what kind of interactions all of those could be having? The photo of her on a bed with all the junk in the side table--could that not be any of us at one time or another? I think that looks like me most days! 2001–2002 paroxetine 2003 citalopram 2004-2008 paroxetine (various failed tapers) 2008 paroxetine slow taper down to 2016 Aug off paroxetine2016 citalopram May 20mg Oct 15mg … slow taper down2018 citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg 18 Nov 3.8mg 2019 15 Mar 3.6mg 21 May 3.4mg 26 Dec 3.2mg 2020 19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg 2021 29 Aug 2.4mg 15 Nov 2.3mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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