dreamchaser: Can the brain recover from antipsychotics?

[dreamchaser]

Greetings all,

Around July of last year i suffered a direct blow to the temple (by far the worst pain I've ever felt in my life) which lead to me having a concussion, shortly after that I smoked what I thought was weed with my roommates but it turned out to be a drug called Spice. These two events led to me having hallucinations one day and I checked myself into a hospital.

 

Long story short they didnt diagnose me with anything they just doped me up with 8 different medications some of the ones i can remember are Abilify, Depakote, Risperdone, Zyprexa, Ativan, Vistril, and Lithium ( i can't recall the other drugs names). I was on so many meds I don't remember the first two days I was there. Long story short they held me against my will for three and a half weeks before I was able to get a different doctor and get released.

 

Since my release I have felt emotionally numb i cant feel happiness or joy, sadness nor pleasure. I feel like I have lost some intelligence, as well as vocabulary and my creative ability. Prior to being given I was very creative all my life I enjoyed writing music and poetry, I also loved playing sports mainly football, Working out, Playing video games and watching movies. I no longer get any enjoyment what so ever from anything i once found interesting. I find it hard to carry on a conversation I feel socially unconfident due to the fact that I feel like i cant think like my brain is just an empty slate. I get major headaches that occur pretty much everyday, I have insomnia (I can fall asleep just fine but wake up at the same time every night which is 3 am). Also I have experienced a tremendous loss of libdo and interest in sex like i just dont desire it anymore, 

 

I really feel like I lost myself and I'm scared that I wont get my pre-med self back, I have been doing everything in my power to get my life and old self  back I have been seeing a pdoc who prescribed me zoloft which I feel isnt working and also trazodone to help with sleep. I have also been going to counseling sessions weekly which has helped a little. I have done extensive research and have come across many people who are experiencing the same things that I am and we all have the same question can the brain recover from antipsychotics and if so how long does it take??

Edited July 19, 2016 by scallywag
tags added

[Fresh]

Hi dreamchaser , welcome to SA.    I'm so sorry to hear your situation , but you've landed in a wonderful place , and will get lots of information and support here.

 

You were put on quite a cocktail in hospital - antipsychotics , antidepressants , anti-anxiety , mood stabilizers, and  Zoloft and trazodone are both antidepressants.

 

All these meds have given your brain a major shake-up , and it will take some time to recover from.   BUT you will recover.

 

It would be really helpful if you could provide a bit more information , as much as you can remember.  I'm wondering how long you took the different hospital meds , and how you stopped them.   Dosages of Zoloft and trazodone and when you started them.

If you look underneath any post , you'll see a signature which sums up the relevant issues and time frame for each person , and makes it easy for anyone reading to understand at a glance.

 

The important thing now is how you move forward from here.

 

Welcome aboard ,  good to have you here ,   Fresh

[Petunia]

Welcome dreamchaser,

Thank you for sharing your story, I'm so sorry about everything you have been through, it shouldn't have happened.  But the good news is that you will recover, it may take some time though.

 

Here are the instructions for how to put your drug history in your signature:

 

http://survivinganti...your-signature/

 

Here is the link to our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful ideas to help manage symptoms as you recover.  Especially read the topics pinned at the top.

 

You can use this thread as your ongoing journal to track progress, write about symptoms, ask questions and communicate with the community, add to it whenever you want.

 

Petunia

[dreamchaser]

I was on the hospital meds for the entire 3 and a half weeks i was there, when i got out i stayed on abilify 5mg then stopped because i felt it had no effect, next i was put on lamictal 25 mg twice daily, now I take 50 mg of zoloft and 100 mg of trazodone and 25-50 mg of vistril because the zoloft sent my anxiety through the roof. I am no longer taking the vistril it gave me tremors causing my hands to shake so i always had ot keep them busy. All of my doses were low so there was no need to ween off of them per my pdoc. 

[Fresh]

Dreamchaser , thanks for that.      I've put zoloft , trazodone and vistaril onto the interaction checker at www.drugs.com  , here's a summary:

 

-trazodone and sertraline (Zoloft)  major interaction , can cause serotonin syndrome (confusion , dizziness ,sweating , shivering , shaking , blurred vision , stomach cramps , nausea , vomiting , hallucinations , diarrhea.

-trazodone and vistaril , may increase side effects such as dizziness , drowsiness , difficulty concentrating ,may cause impairment in thinking and judgement

-sertraline and vistaril , same as above (trazodone)

 

Any medications you are taking could exacerbate your situation and further complicate your recovery , so your current med. protocol needs immediate evaluation.

I'm sure people who are knowledgeable about this will offer advice/suggestions.

Fresh

[dreamchaser]

Thanks for the info I had no idea about the side effects of those drug interactions which explains a lot of what I have been feeling lately such as dizziness, nausea and difficulty concentrating. Im going to stop taking all the meds besides trazodone since it helps me stay asleep. Since stopping the antipsychotic meds I keep getting strange tingling sensations in the frontal lobe (around the forehead and temples) aand also in the back if my head //base of my neck is this normal???

[Fresh]

Wait , not so fast dreamchaser!       Just stopping Zoloft COULD give you withdrawal symptoms, so depending on how long you've been taking it , you may need a

more gradual way of stopping it.

 

Thanks for the sig.     So you've been on 50mg Zoloft for how many weeks now?

 

The tingly feelings could be part of a withdrawal reaction from stopping the hospital meds .     It's hard to say for sure , because you've had a lot of changes.

[dreamchaser]

I just started back taking the Zoloft this is day four back on it.

[Petunia]

Thanks for providing more information dreamchaser, I also did the same as Fresh and found there are some concerning interactions between the drugs you are currently taking.

Interactions between your selected drugs

trazodone ↔ sertraline

Applies to: trazodone, Zoloft (sertraline)

Using traZODone together with sertraline can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred vision, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases may result in coma and even death. You should seek immediate medical attention if you experience these symptoms while taking the medications. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Your doctor may already be aware of the risks, but has determined that this is the best course of treatment for you and has taken appropriate precautions and is monitoring you closely for any potential complications. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

 

Additionally, trazodone can cause some problems for some people because it has an active metabolite which causes interactions with other drugs and can make some people very sick, please read through this topic for more information:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2883-tips-for-tapering-off-trazodone-desyrel/

 

It would be helpful if you could put your drug history with dates and dosages in your signature, so we can easily see what has happened, that way it will be easier to know what to advise.  When did you stop taking vistaril?

 

Its important you don't just stop taking any of the drugs you are currently taking.  These drugs need to be tapered slowly to enable your nervous system to adjust.

 

If you could clearly detail your drug history with dates and dosages, that would help us to be able to offer suggestions.

 

I see that Fresh has replied while I was typing this out.  Please, do not just suddenly stop taking any of the drugs you are currently taking, it could make your situation much worse.

 

Once you get back to us with more details about your drug history and situation, we will be in a better position to offer support and suggestions.

 

Petunia.

[Fresh]

Thanks Petunia.      Good dreamchaser ,  only 4 days then.    

It takes 4 days to get to a steady state in your bloodstream , so if it were me , I would be inclined to just stop it and ride out whatever the next week holds.

 

[dreamchaser]

I will update drug info I quit taking vistrial about a week ago but before i did i cut back from 50 mg to 25 mg .

[dreamchaser]

Thanks Silver Star im going to take your advice and stop taking the zoloft. Also Petunia thank you for the link it was very informative, I will look for the documents from the hospital that shows the dosages as well as a full list of all the medications they had me on. 

[Petunia]

Thanks for adding more detail to your signature, that helps.  There's one more thing I'm not clear about though.  It looks like you started taking Zoloft 50mg in January 2015, could you give an approximate date in Jan.  Also, when did you stop taking it, we need to know how long you were taking it for, before you stopped.

 

The good news is that you haven't been on any of these drugs for a long time, so in theory, that means any adaptions/damage caused to your brain and nervous system shouldn't take long to reverse.  Unfortunately, there have been a lot of changes in drugs over the last several months and that would have destabilized your nervous system, it may take a while before your symptoms settle down.

 

Once you have stabilized, which may take several months, if you wanted to, you could begin a slow, safe taper off trazodone.

 

In the mean time, it will help if you avoid all other psychoactive substances including recreational drugs and alcohol.  Read through the symptoms and self care section ( I posted the link in an earlier post) for non-drug ways to support recovery.

 

If you think it would be helpful to read through the topic of another member who has recovered from anti-psychotics, I will post a link to a thread here:

☼ schizor: can the brain recover from antipsychotics?

When schizor joined the site, he was suffering with symptoms very similar to yours, but now he's much better, here is a quote from a recent post:

 

Im stronger then Ive ever been. The only difference is that I workout everyday.... twice..... 
I can feel joy and sorrow again and I have become a stronger person, thank you for the support for all the members of this wonderful website.

[JanCarol]

dreamchaser, you said:

 

 

Thanks Silver Star im going to take your advice and stop taking the zoloft. 

 

Whoa, Nellie!  PLEASE listen to me, and Petunia and Bubble:  DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING.  Keep taking your Zoloft for now!

 

Yes, you have been on these evil drugs - but you are still trusting the doctors who put you on them!  They would tell you to quit this or that, or they would tell you to halve a tablet this week and discontinue the next.  THESE are DANGEROUS behaviours.  We've seen many people suffer more because doctors do not understand withdrawal.  It is not in their training.

 

Here at SA, over the years, we have found a gentle, harm reduction method of going off these mind changing pills.

 

There are a few rules to follow, if you want to get off of them safely.

 

1.  Keep it Simple, Keep It Stable, Keep it Slow - some people say "but I don't want to take 1-2 years to get off of these drugs."  Thing is, if you go too fast, your brain will start bouncing around and cause more trouble, because it has gotten used to these drugs.  And THAT will make your withdrawal longer, more painful, more difficult.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6632-the-rule-of-3kis-keep-it-simple-keep-it-slow-keep-it-stable/

 

2.  Only taper by 10% of your current dose, each 4-6 weeks.  This is SO MUCH slower than what your docs told you!  You have had so many changes in the past few months, it's best to wait until your brain stops wobbling from the last change (quitting VIsteril earlier this month).  Then, you can decide if it's the demotivation or whether it is the sleep issues, which bother you most, and chose your next taper.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

3.  Usually, start by tapering the antidepressant first.  In your case I would taper the Zoloft first - because it is the strongest, most activating drug that you are on.  But you just quit the vistiril (which actually would've made it easier for you to get off the zoloft and trazadone) and because you quit it Cold Turkey (CT), you need to wait at least 1-3 months before starting the next one.  It is very important to only taper one drug at a time, and if you had to go CT (due to toxic overload, unbearable side effects - though how you would know which side effects were caused by which drug, I do not know), then WAIT before next taper.   I recommend 3 months, but even waiting 1 month (if you are in an all-fired hurry) will help.

 

Some CT (or fast taper) WD symptoms can throw you for a loop 6 months, 12 months, even 2 years after withdrawal.  We get so many of those in here:  people who quit "fast taper" or CT last year sometime and want to know why they are getting brain zaps and akathisia.

 

I'm going to say it again:  Only taper one drug at a time!

 

At some point, you may choose to cross taper - zoloft will be activating, while trazadone is usually sedating.  So you might taper 10% of current dose of Zoloft for a month, and then find you are too sedated, and taper 10% of trazadone the next month.  NEVER taper 2 drugs at the same time!

 

* * *

 

Here is a description of the effects of these drugs on the brain, and why we recommend such a cautious approach.  I will emphasize, these drugs are not like asprin, you can't just quit them and move on.  They will continue to rattle through your system long after the "half ife" of the drug is expended.  This is because they change your brain, and you want your brain back.  

 Rhi's description of healing the brain

 

If you are in a hurry and want to heal your brain RIGHT NOW (I sense that you do, most people do), you can start by taking magnesium, which will help heal your neurotransmitters:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

and fish oil, which will help smooth the firing of your neurons:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/

 

The biggest healer, as you go through this is time.

 

I'm telling you to stop right now because I want you to get through this without suffering what we've seen here so many times before.  You are at a crossroads of opportunity.  If you follow the SA way, you will find you are in control of your taper, and you can choose NOT to taper, if you have difficult issues in your life (job, family, illness, etc.)  If you go the other road, it's a rocky rollercoaster ride of moods and events that are out of your control.

 

I'm sorry to put so much information into one post, but I really feel for you and hope that we can get you through this with a minimum of pain and suffering.

 

I think I can confidently say, if you follow these rules, 3 months from now, you will start to feel better.  6 months from now, there will be more clarity in your life.  A year from now, it will be unbelievable that you were ever in this dark, dull place.  But you have to go slow, in order to retain control of your brain, and your life.

 

YOU MAY NEVER be the same person you were before the drugging (fortunately, all of this is less than a year long, so chances are good that you will see much of your former life again).  But you will regain your passion, your caring, your purpose, and your hope.  Your schedule might be slightly different - everyone is different.  But that's a general guideline to withdrawal, when done the slow, simple, and stable way.

[Fresh]

Dreamchaser has been taking Zoloft for 4 days.     Moderators ,do you really believe this should be tapered over weeks?

 

Fresh 

[Songbird]

Just trying to clarify your history - this all happened in July/August last year, then you took nothing until January this year?  Was it the beginning, middle or end of Jan when you began Zoloft?  When in Feb did you start the Trazodone?

 

I am confused about the four days of Zoloft, though, it looks more like a couple of months on it?  I'm also confused as to why you began the Zoloft so many months after the AP episode.  Was your pdoc trying to fix your ongoing symptoms?

 

In any case, with this short term of use, I don't think you need to be staying on everything for months, that's only going to make it harder to get off later.  I would begin tapering the Zoloft sooner rather than later and relatively quickly.  You can then taper off the trazodone, and then leave your brain alone to rebalance and recover.  Don't add any more meds, you can't fix a problem caused by psych meds by adding more psych meds.

[Petunia]

Dreamchaser has been taking Zoloft for 4 days.     Moderators ,do you really believe this should be tapered over weeks?

 

Fresh 

 

 

Before we start giving advice about what drugs to stop taking or taper, its best if we can get the history clear.

 

There's one more thing I'm not clear about though.  It looks like you started taking Zoloft 50mg in January 2015, could you give an approximate date in Jan.  Also, when did you stop taking it, we need to know how long you were taking it for, before you stopped.

 

Dreamchaser, if you could clarify this part of your history for us, we will be in a better position to make some suggestions.  For now, please don't make any changes.

 

 

[Rhiannon]

Well, first: Welcome to the forum. I am SO sorry to hear about all of this. You should never have been put on that pile of meds. :-(

 

I too am very confused about what meds were taken when and what meds were stopped when. That makes it quite difficult to give advice.

 

It looks like there was a whole slew of meds from the hospital visit in August which were taken for a month or so and then stopped CT. Is that correct?

 

 

I was on the hospital meds for the entire 3 and a half weeks i was there, when i got out i stayed on abilify 5mg then stopped because i felt it had no effect, next i was put on lamictal 25 mg twice daily, now I take 50 mg of zoloft and 100 mg of trazodone and 25-50 mg of vistril because the zoloft sent my anxiety through the roof. I am no longer taking the vistril it gave me tremors causing my hands to shake so i always had ot keep them busy. All of my doses were low so there was no need to ween off of them per my pdoc. 

 

How long did you stay on the Abilify and when did you stop taking that? What dose were you taking (was it 5 mg the whole time)? Did you stop CT or did you taper down?

 

When were you started on Lamictal and how long did you take that? Did you take 50 mg a day the whole time? Did you stop CT or did you taper down? Are you still taking it?

 

When did you start taking Zoloft? Have you taken 50 mg the whole time? 

 

When did you start taking trazodone? Have you taken 100 mg the whole time? Are you still taking it? (It sounds like you are but I just want to be sure.)

 

When did you start the Vistaril? How much were you taking? When did you stop? Did you stop CT?

 

And other questions that will help us with advising you: How old are you? Before your hospital time, had you ever taken any psychiatric drugs before, including Ritalin or other drugs for ADHD, or any antidepressants, etc.?

 

Doctors are VERY ill-informed about these drugs. They get all their education about them from the companies that $ell them. Even what are called "low" doses are very, very powerful doses.

 

Any drug that changes the chemistry of your brain needs to be tapered off if you have taken it for more than a week or two. Some people find them easier to come off than others. In some situations people can taper faster, other times they have to taper more slowly.

 

How fast you can taper depends on many factors, some of which we can predict (like how long you have been on and at what doses, and what your med history was before you started taking that drug) and some of which we cannot predict (individual variations due to genetics, life stressors, etc.)

 

Your history is very complex. If you can help us sort out all the separate threads, we will be able to give you much better advice.

 

In the meantime, it can be dangerous to CT any of the drugs you are on. Your nervous system has really been through the wringer and is probably very unstable and confused right now, which is why you are feeling so terrible. Please help us clarify your history and then we can suggest what changes to make that might help you.

 

At this point I believe the most urgent need is to get your regimen stable so that your brain can begin to stabilize. Once your brain has had time to recover a bit and stabilize, you can begin the process of getting off the meds safely.

 

I am so, so sorry that your doctors threw you into this pit. You can climb out, but it's going to take longer than you would like. 

[Rhiannon]

When you are ready, if you would like to understand more about why doctors are so very poorly informed about the dangers of these drugs and know nothing about how to get off of them safely, please get hold of a copy of the book Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker. It's very readable and explains the whole story.

 

You can also check out the websites "cepuk.org" and "Mad In America."

[Rhiannon]

I just started back taking the Zoloft this is day four back on it.

 

 

Thanks Petunia.      Good dreamchaser ,  only 4 days then.    

It takes 4 days to get to a steady state in your bloodstream , so if it were me , I would be inclined to just stop it and ride out whatever the next week holds.

 

 

 

Dreamchaser has been taking Zoloft for 4 days.     Moderators ,do you really believe this should be tapered over weeks?

 

Fresh 

 

Looks like she/he says "started back taking" which implies that she/he was taking it before for some period of time, stopped, then started again. It's easy to miss those things! but pretty crucial in a situation with an extremely complex history like this one. 

 

It absolutely depends on the history.

 

If someone was completely drug naive (had never taken a psych med before) and they took an AD for four days and wanted to quit, I would certainly say to just quit CT, with some warnings that they might have a few wobbles (or not) over the coming weeks and not to worry if that happened, ride it out, it will pass, and also don't worry if there are no wobbles at all because they might be just fine.

 

If someone had a previous history of taking ADs years before and had taken none in between, but had had bad withdrawal symptoms in the past when coming off, and this time had taken one for four days and wanted to stop, I would probably recommend a short aggressive taper, like 25% every day or two, but to go more slowly if withdrawal symptoms appeared (depending on the life situation, support and stressors and such, and age, and how complex and long the prior history had been, and other personal variations.)

 

There is just no one size fits all, sadly.

 

Unfortunately this situation is way more complex than either of those above. "Steady state" is the least of this person's concerns--with this kind of history the brain is going to react immediately to any amount of any kind of psychoactive drug and to any changes. This particular situation is going to be tricky no matter what, there is just no way to do this easily after this kind of psychopharmaceutical battering.  We want to be cautious and to get all the information before encouraging someone to take action, drastic or otherwise.

 

Does this help clarify where I'm coming from a bit? That's my hope. :-)

[Nicoleflys]

Dreamchaser has been taking Zoloft for 4 days.     Moderators ,do you really believe this should be tapered over weeks?

 

Fresh 

Amen

[dreamchaser]

I am a 27 year old male, I was 26 at the time I was given all those meds in the hospital. Prior to that I had never been on any kind of medication what so ever and I was in perfect physical and mental health. I will try to answer everyones questions and be as clear and concise as I can.  I started abilify and depakote in the hospital then was prescribed abilify after I was released so I took it in july then went CT until i was prescribed it in September. Next I started Lamictal in October and took that for less than a month and quit CT i started on 25 mg for 7 days then upped to 50 mg I didn't even finish the bottle (one month supply). Long story short i slipped into depression/ and began having trouble sleeping (Insomnia) after leaving the hospital and it progressively got worse which led to me taking Zoloft and trazodone. I started out on 50 mg of Zoloft in the beginning of Jan for 7 days then upped to 100 took one dose at 100 mg and it made me feel like crap so i stuck with 50 mg. I did not take zoloft everyday and quit at the 50 mg taper. I started the trazodone  about a week or 2 after starting zoloft and I started at 50 mg then upped to 100 mg which I am currently still taking. Also around the same time I started Vistrial (mid febuary) which was 1 -2 capsules 4 times a day as needed ( each capsule is 25 mg) which I took for about a week then I developed hand tremors which i told my doc about and she advised me to take one capsule instead of two (25 mg) I stopped taking vistrial on the 18th of febuary . As far as the other drugs and dosages I will have to get from my pdoc next week as soon as I do i will update my signature with all of the dosages. 

[Petunia]

 I started out on 50 mg of Zoloft in the beginning of Jan for 7 days then upped to 100 took one dose at 100 mg and it made me feel like crap so i stuck with 50 mg. I did not take zoloft everyday and quit at the 50 mg taper.

 

Thanks for trying to clarify things, this is what I'm trying to find out.  When you say you didn't take zoloft every day, how often were you taking it? 

 

"quit at the 50mg taper"  what does this mean, what date? What was the last day you took zoloft (the first time you stopped taking it),

 

Currently you are taking ONLY Trazodone 100mg daily, is this correct?

 

Please continue to not make any more changes for now.

 

How are you feeling at the moment dreamcatcher?  Do you feel like your symptoms are improving, getting worse or staying about the same?

 

Hang in there, we will get this sorted out, I'm sorry if the conflicting posts on your thread have become a bit confusing, it can happen sometimes when someone has a complex history like you do.

[dreamchaser]

Petunia sorry this is so confusing i didnt keep track of the exact dates when I stopped the meds but I did stop taking Zoloft on januray 21st when I was taking it regularly i would miss a day or two because i would forget before heading to work, Right now I am just taking the 100 mg of trazodone. Right now i feel brain dead emotionally numb I get headaches everyday and that strange tingling feeling in my frontal lobe and back of my head/base of my neck. Still no interest in things i once enjoyed, lack of motivation but im trying to stay positive inspite of all that has happened to me i sincerely hope i can get back to my normal self in due time.

[dreamchaser]

I think i have been suffering from the withdrawl of all of those drugs they had me on in the hospital I have done a lot of research and people complain of the same symptoms as me, came across a few posts on another forum where people said they slipped into deep depression after they stopped taking drugs like risperdone and zyprexa. Others have also complained of lack of concentration, lack of motivation, stunted intelligence, loss of creative ability, insomnia, lack of interest in things they once loved like music. All this time since I've left the hospital me and my pdoc have basically been trying to compensate for the withdrawl symptoms of all those drugs with more drugs instead of letting my brain repair itself. Funny thing is I told her all about all the problems i was having and I felt it was due to all the drugs they had me on and she didnt agree at all, she said that she had never heard of drugs effecting people weeks or months after they stopped taking them her only concern was prescribing more drugs and trying to diagnose me with some type of mental illness which never happened. While in the hospital I refused to take medication because I did not need it and felt perfectly fine before all the meds, however they refused to release me until I was medication compliant so I was stripped of my freedom and forced to take antipsychotic meds against my will now im left to suffer through the aftermath of that horrendous ordeal. 

[Petunia]

 I did stop taking Zoloft on januray 21st when I was taking it regularly i would miss a day or two because i would forget before heading to work, Right now I am just taking the 100 mg of trazodone.

 

Thanks for this dreamcatcher, it looks like you were taking it regularly for about 3 weeks.  In this case, I agree that its probably best not to take it any more and for now, stick with the 100mg of trazodone until you become stable again.  Take the same dose at the same time every day, this will help your nervous system become stable again.

 

Read through this:

 

The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable.

 

I'm really sorry this has all happened to you, unfortunately, its something we hear much too often, most doctors are completely clueless about the real effects of these drugs and end up making people sicker.

 

I suggest you start looking for a new doctor, see: What to expect from my doctor

 

On a positive note, you have found some help now and are on the right track, you are still able to function in your life, in time you will recover.

 

 All this time since I've left the hospital me and my pdoc have basically been trying to compensate for the withdrawl symptoms of all those drugs with more drugs instead of letting my brain repair itself.

 

... yes, and now you have learned a better way which will allow you to recover.

 

When you feel ready to start tapering off the trazodone, here is the link to our tips for coming off it safely:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2883-tips-for-tapering-off-trazodone-desyrel/

 

If I were you, I would wait at least a month, maybe more before starting a taper.

 

In the mean time listen to your body and avoid those things that set off symptoms as much as possible. Aside from a high quality fish oil and magnesium, avoid supplements. (See King of Supplements: Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) and Magnesium, Nature's Calcium Channel Blocker). They've been helpful to many of us.

 

Please would you change your signature to reflect that you are no longer taking the zoloft. Do stay in touch and let us know how you are doing.

[dreamchaser]

hello all,

Im going to get some fish oil, magnesium and vitamins today I'm also working on getting the list of meds i was on in the hospital and the dosages so hopefully i can update that info by the end of the day

[JanCarol]

Please be careful with the vitamins, multivitamin, and B vitamins in particular, can be activating or aggravating when you are in withdrawal.

 

It seems to me like much of this is withdrawal, from all of those cold turkeys (even though you were only on them for a month),  Even lithium can give you withdrawal symptoms. So then you got withdrawal, then you got symptoms, then you got depressed and got put on the Zoloft and trazodone.

 

But even then, you didn't take the zoloft steady, it went up and down and you missed some doses - so then you get thrown into zoloft withdrawal, just as you might have been close to healing from all of those cold turkeys.  Not to mention Lamictal and vistiril withdrawal, too!

 

We are not fans of the cold turkey.  It's like jumping off of a cliff with a faulty bungy cord - it might be a long time before you are stable again, or you might end up at the bottom of the cliff like Wil-E-Coyote, and take even longer to put back together again.  We prefer rapelling (abseiling), coming down the cliff a few feet at a time, checking for safety all along the way. 

 

Hang in there, dreamchaser - keep it steady.  Keep taking the trazadone for awhile yet.  Take your magnesium (best at night) and fish oil (morning and night) at the same time every day.  Hold off on the vitamins, until the magnesium and fish oil begin to help.  Then I would try breaking the vitamin in half (or even less) to test it and see if it is going to "feel good" or not.

 

Start paying attention to your symptoms.  Is there a time of day when you feel better?  Or worse?  Is it the same every day?  These could be cortisol spikes.  Are there certain foods or behaviours that set you off?  We've been conditioned as adults to ignore our moods and bodies, but by paying attention to these, you own body can teach yourself how to make you better.

 

If you keep it steady, you are young, you are strong, you can get through this.  It hasn't even been a year yet.  I know, at your age, that seems like forever - but in the big picture, you can come out of this stronger, and wiser than before - with a whole life ahead of you.

[Fresh]

Hey  dreamchaser ,   how are things going for you lately?

[dreamchaser]

Have been feeling better since starting the fish oil and magnesium but still struggling in day to day life still stuck in that dense brain fog. On a good note i was able to get a copy of the meds and dosages they had me on in the hospital so i will update my signature when i get off this evening hopefully that gives the moderators more to go on. Also i plan on seeing a neurologist this week or next week

[dreamchaser]

Have been feeling better since starting the fish oil and magnesium but still struggling in day to day life still stuck in that dense brain fog. On a good note i was able to get a copy of the meds and dosages they had me on in the hospital so i will update my signature when i get off this evening hopefully that gives the moderators more to go on. Also i plan on seeing a neurologist this week or next week

[Rhiannon]

It really sounds to me like the only thing wrong with you has been what all those drugs did to you.

 

I highly, highly recommend you get hold of a copy of the book Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker and read through that. It's very readable and you can take it slow if the brain fog makes it difficult.

 

You're going to be recovering for a while still, because you were on and off some things pretty recently, the Lamictal in December and the Zololft and Vistaril in January and February. Hang in there, take your trazodone the same time every day, and read through the suggestions in Symptoms and Self Care as far as how to take gentle care of your nervous system.

 

Your nervous system can heal and rebalance itself, but it was hit pretty hard, and growing a new brain is not a fast process. Be patient with your body. You're young and your brain can totally do this.

 

Let us know what the neurologist says, but I would suggest if he or she wants you to go on more drugs, given your past experience, I would think long and hard before doing that. 

 

I think i have been suffering from the withdrawl of all of those drugs they had me on in the hospital I have done a lot of research and people complain of the same symptoms as me, came across a few posts on another forum where people said they slipped into deep depression after they stopped taking drugs like risperdone and zyprexa. Others have also complained of lack of concentration, lack of motivation, stunted intelligence, loss of creative ability, insomnia, lack of interest in things they once loved like music. All this time since I've left the hospital me and my pdoc have basically been trying to compensate for the withdrawl symptoms of all those drugs with more drugs instead of letting my brain repair itself. Funny thing is I told her all about all the problems i was having and I felt it was due to all the drugs they had me on and she didnt agree at all, she said that she had never heard of drugs effecting people weeks or months after they stopped taking them her only concern was prescribing more drugs and trying to diagnose me with some type of mental illness which never happened. While in the hospital I refused to take medication because I did not need it and felt perfectly fine before all the meds, however they refused to release me until I was medication compliant so I was stripped of my freedom and forced to take antipsychotic meds against my will now im left to suffer through the aftermath of that horrendous ordeal. 

 

I agree. Your doctor is clueless. There are millions of people like you, like all of us here. Check out the book I mentioned above. You might also like the book Mad In America by the same author, Robert Whitaker. He also started a website by the same name, Mad In America, which has lots of good articles, some of which you might find interesting.

 

There are a lot of people in the psychiatric system who don't belong there any more than you do. Good for you, for being strong and sure of yourself and not buying into the "mental illness" thing they tried to foist on you.

 

Also there is the website "cepuk.org" which has some good short videos you might find interesting.

[dreamchaser]

Hello all,

 

Rhi thanks or the advice i will get a copy of both of the books you suggested I've seen a few other members have read them and had positive feedback on them so I am looking forward to checking them out. 

 

Update:

 

I went to a local walk in clinic and explained my symptoms and had a MRI and blood work done and everything came back normal yet i don't feel back to my normal self. I am still struggling and suffering day to day, some days are better than others but overall my quality of life has diminished greatly.

 As I sit and reflect on life i am finding it hard to find a purpose when all the things i was good at and loved i am no longer good at or interested in. I now worry about the future of my career, i was on track to get into a business management career but had to turn the offer down because of my withdrawl and brain fog. I feel like life will never be the same anymore and it scares me  I am young and should be enjoying life and making progress in life but I am at a stand still and don't know how long it will be before I'm back to my normal self.

[Songbird]

You are young and will heal and have plenty of good years ahead of you.  I know it is hard to be patient when it feels like you are at a stand still but this is only temporary.  You will get yourself back and move forward again.

[Fresh]

Hi dreamchaser ,    I agree with Songbird that this is a temporary thing , and one day it will all be in "the past".

 

Your sadness is normal . . . of course you feel a sense of grief and loss at the moment about your plans.  

Did you ever hear The Beatles song that says "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans" ?

 

When you're ready for it , there will be opportunities for other courses.   The lack of enjoyment is called anhedonia , lots

of us have had it and it goes away as you get better.   

Just do what you can each day and remind yourself you WILL heal . . . . you've already started.

 

[dreamchaser]

thank-you fresh and songbird for the words of encouragement I know theres is light at the end of the tunnel it's just hard to see it at the moment