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Did antidepressant reinstatement work for you?


ajay

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Have you gone back on an antidepressant, or did you do so as part of your tapering off? How long were you off ADs before you reinstated? Did you go back on a the same AD, or a different one?

 

What was your experience like?

 

[i have been off Zoloft for 9 months now. When I have particularly bad days, I consider going back on Zoloft with the idea of restabilizing and then tapering off very slowly. I did go off zoloft once before, but went back on it within a couple months, before I had any issues with insomnia.]

History is approximate; I didn't track my dosages.

 

1995 - started zoloft/sertraline for depression

1995-2008 - sertraline ranged from 100-200mg, may have gone as high as 250mg

2006 - 2009 - added welbutrin/budeprion SR, 150 mg

sometime in 2009-2010 - stopped budeprion c/t

sometime around 2009-2010, Tapered down sertraline w/o guidance to 50 mg, then 25mg.

~ feb 2010, stopped sertraline.

~ Apr 2010, resumed 25mg low dose (really bad business trip)

Oct 2010, stopped sertraline

Jan 2011 - another bad business trip "breaks" my sleep.

 

current issues include insomnia, anxiety, GI distress, depression.

Taking multivitamins, Vitamin D, fish oil, Chinese herbs, ~ 0.5mg melatonin in the evening.

Going to therapy and acupuncture once a week.

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you are in withdrawal, and as you have been many years on drugs, it will take many months to be better

insomnia is classic withdrawal

i would not reinstate to not lose all these efforts, or else you will be entire life on meds,

each time you will be off, you will suffer insomnia and many others,

with time insomnia improves(i had it and have it less)

hang on

for anxiety 

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

67 years old - 9 years  med free

 

in protracted withdrawal

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

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

 

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8 months after quitting cold turkey, I still wonder about reinstating and then tapering. In 2008 I tried tapering, but I only did it in a few months and the last step was quick. Pretty much the same result as now that I've quit cold turkey. I survived the initial period OK (felt a surge of emotions, felt like crying, knew I could make it through) but then a couple of months in I started with severe anxiety. That made me go back on the meds.

 

Since a lot of people talk about having symptoms for longer when quitting cold turkey, I do think about going back on a low dose and then tapering veeeery veeeery slowly, like over a year or two.

 

Has anyone tried that, after having been off for a long time?

'94-'08 On/off ADs. Mostly Zoloft & Wellbutrin, but also Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, etc.
6/08 quit Z & W after tapering, awful anxiety 3 mos. later, reinstated.
11/10 CTed. Severe anxiety 3 mos. later & @ 8 mos. much worse (set off by metronidazole). Anxiety, depression, anhedonia, DP, DR, dizziness, severe insomnia, high serum AM cortisol, flu-like feelings, muscle discomfort.
9/11-9/12 Waves and windows of recovery.
10/12 Awful relapse, DP/DR. Hydrocortisone?
11/12 Improved fairly quickly even though relapse was one of worst waves ever.

1/13 Best I've ever felt.

3/13 A bit of a relapse... then faster and shorter waves and windows.

4/14 Have to watch out for triggers, but feel completely normal about 80% of the time.

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you are in withdrawal, and as you have been many years on drugs, it will take many months to be better

insomnia is classic withdrawal

i would not reinstate to not lose all these efforts, or else you will be entire life on meds,

each time you will be off, you will suffer insomnia and many others,

with time insomnia improves(i had it and have it less)

hang on

 

I completely agree with Stan.

 

 

BTW, I reinstated after only 8 days off (from a fast taper) and I was never able to stabilize despite repeated up-dosing. I developed complete tolerance and this second attempt to WD was violent (no exaggeration), completely bedridden trying to taper off.

 

 

The first rapid taper (although I experience WD effects) was a cake-walk compared to the second taper. I was able to stabilize after each large dose reduction. However, once I reinstated, I could never stabilize. I'm still in disbelief regarding the horror of it all, not to mention traumatized from the experience.

 

BTW, I never felt traumatized the first time I tapered, despite experiencing WD effects.

 

If I were you, I'd stay the course..........do not reinstate at this stage. You have 9 months of healing that has taken place and as Stan mentioned, I would not interfere with this.

 

With all that said, some people are able to reinstate and do okay however, it's a huge gamble........one where the outcomes cannot be predicted within any given individual.

 

No matter how horrid you feel ATM, you WILL HEAL from all this.

 

 

Much More Healing to You!

 

Punar

To Face My Trials with "The Grace of a Woman Rather Than the Grief of a Child". (quote section by Veronica A. Shoffstall)

 

Be Not Afraid of Growing Slowly. Be Afraid of Only Standing Still.

(Chinese Proverb)

 

I Create and Build Empowerment Within Each Time I Choose to Face A Fear, Sit with it and Ask Myself, "What Do I Need to Learn?"

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm just curious... I tapered off of Lexapro for about 3 months before quitting almost a month ago. I have taken Zoloft before and had success with it. If I were to start taking meds again in the near future (which I'm fighting against as much as I can) could I reinstate with Zoloft instead of Lexapro? The Lexapro was losing its effectiveness which is why I figured I would go off of it anyways.

Extreme fear of death since I can remember/ severe anxiety as a child/ first panic at 10 which lasted about two months and reoccurred three years later and again four years later with each episode lasting months/ started paxil in 1997, switched to zoloft around 2002 then to effexor in 2004 for a month then to lexapro which I remained on until three weeks ago. Last dose taken three weeks ago. Just beginning to experience reoccurring anxiety , OCD and depression.P

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  • Administrator

Ucf, I merged your new topic with a similar existing topic.

 

To reduce withdrawal symptoms, you need to reinstate the SAME medication. Your neurons have adapted to that molecule. That is the molecule they want.

 

We haven't seen much success in reducing withdrawal symptoms by going on to a different antidepressant.

 

Withdrawal, or a history of switching from one antidepressant to another, often seems to sensitize the nervous system to psychiatric drugs. With your drug history, you may not get the same results from Zoloft you got before.

 

However, if you wish to switch to a different antidepressant to treat symptoms other than withdrawal symptoms, that is your choice.

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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I would also like to know more about people's experiences with reinstatement, good or bad, so please do share them here. I just want to learn more about it.

 

I took Paxil for a month and then tried to stop it and had terrible withdrawal and then started Celexa and my withdrawal from the Paxil did clear up. And that happened in the past when I quit taking Prozac and then started on Wellbutrin later and my withdrawal depression resolved. So I think it's possible there may be enough overlap between the mechanisms of the different drugs that a different drug can help.

 

But I also think that taking any psych drug is risky and a crapshoot. It's a very tough and individual decision. I know a couple of people who had to reinstate after terrible CTs and too-fast tapers, and who were able to reinstate and stabilize and then taper safely, and it was a lifesaving choice for them. I know other people who have reinstated and found that they feel no better, or even feel worse, PLUS now they still have to taper again. It's just such a crapshoot.

 

I've heard a lot more benzo stories than AD stories, though, so I'd really love to hear more from folks who have reinstated, or switched to a different med to counteract w/d, what happened, how it went, how you feel about it now, etc.

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

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

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

 

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

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Over the past 16 years, I've reinstated many times, and each time it has worked for me, though the results I got from one drug or another were better or worse (for example, I really did not like being on Effexor, and Celexa was OK but it made me too emotionally flat). I don't know what would happen in the future, but I'm not willing to risk it. It's a crapshoot, like you say!

 

Edit: I should mention that each time I reinstated at most 4 months had passed. I've never tried reinstating after a long period. I suspect that is when it would be most risky.

'94-'08 On/off ADs. Mostly Zoloft & Wellbutrin, but also Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, etc.
6/08 quit Z & W after tapering, awful anxiety 3 mos. later, reinstated.
11/10 CTed. Severe anxiety 3 mos. later & @ 8 mos. much worse (set off by metronidazole). Anxiety, depression, anhedonia, DP, DR, dizziness, severe insomnia, high serum AM cortisol, flu-like feelings, muscle discomfort.
9/11-9/12 Waves and windows of recovery.
10/12 Awful relapse, DP/DR. Hydrocortisone?
11/12 Improved fairly quickly even though relapse was one of worst waves ever.

1/13 Best I've ever felt.

3/13 A bit of a relapse... then faster and shorter waves and windows.

4/14 Have to watch out for triggers, but feel completely normal about 80% of the time.

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This probably doesn't count because it was MAOIs...but I quit taking Parnate (I think) and was off for about 8 months. Was immobilized, but appreciated being able to eat leftovers and ethnic foods again...ended up on Paxil, which definitely changed my state of mind.

 

1989 - 1992 Parnate* 

1992-1998 Paxil - pooped out*, oxazapam, inderal

1998 - 2005 Celexa - pooped out* klonopin, oxazapam, inderal

*don't remember doses

2005 -2007   Cymbalta 60 mg oxazapam, inderal, klonopin

Started taper in 2007:

CT klonopin, oxazapam, inderal (beta blocker) - 2007

Cymbalta 60mg to 30mg 2007 -2010

July 2010 - March 2018 on hiatus due to worsening w/d symptoms, which abated and finally disappeared. Then I stalled for about 5 years because I didn't want to deal with W/D.

March 2018 - May 2018 switch from 30mg Cymbalta to 20mg Celexa 

19 mg Celexa October 7, 2018

18 mg Celexa November 5, 2018

17 mg Celexa  December 2, 2019

16 mg Celexa January 6, 2018 

15 mg Celexa March 7, 2019

14 mg Celexa April 24, 2019

13 mg Celexa June 28, 2019

12.8 mg Celexa November 10, 2019

12.4 Celexa August 31, 2020

12.2 Celexa December 28, 2020

12 mg Celexa March 2021

11 mg  Celexa February 2023

 

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I've reinstated several times over the years, never had probs. Sometimes I wish I had... then maybe I would no longer be on one. I also used Prozac to help me get off Paxil... that worked for me. Some people seem to respond well when they reinstate... others not so much. I do think it is a crapshoot.

 

Rhi... would you feel comfortable putting what meds you are on/off in your signature?

 

 

Charter Member 2011

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Well, if we're calling this reinstatement -- I took Prozac for a couple of years, tapered off without a problem.

 

A few years later, I started Paxil, the drug that changed my life (and not for the better). It seemed to "work" for a year or so (with a side of sexual dysfunction), then I got side effects of demotivation, emotional blunting. That did not seem to be constructive, so at the advice of the first psychiatrist I'd ever seen, I did a cold switch to Lexapro without tapering and got humungous withdrawal syndrome. The Lexapro didn't help, and it was clear it was too strong for me.

 

I tapered off Lexapro pretty fast (couldn't get off it fast enough) and went back on Paxil, which did stop the withdrawal symptoms, but pooped out after about a year. Then I went to UCSF outpatient psychiatry for going off Paxil....and the rest is history. In October, it will be 7 years since I made that mistake.

 

I'm sure most of us have a history of serial medications. In terms of reinstatement, I'd like to find out how people did when they went back on the same antidepressant or another within, say, 4 months of quitting. Did that do anything for withdrawal symptoms?

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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I'm sure most of us have a history of serial medications. In terms of reinstatement, I'd like to find out how people did when they went back on the same antidepressant or another within, say, 4 months of quitting. Did that do anything for withdrawal symptoms?

 

After I CTd off Paxil not knowing any better, I went back on around six days later. I remember that it took exactly 11 days to stabilize. I remember b/c I felt so terrible.

 

I started Celexa after being off Prozac for three months. I was feeling depressed and thought the original symptoms had returned. I started feeling better after around three weeks on the celexa.

 

All I can remember at the moment.

 

 

Charter Member 2011

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Paxil was the very first and only antidepressant ive ever taken in my life, and was prescribed for grief issues,which i took from 1997 until the end of 2005 with zero problems, until i hit tolerance and got taken off by my doctor. When i complained to my doctor about symptoms i was experiencing, he never admitted it was from the drug, he told me to take a beta blocker, prozac and diazepam to feel better, i did this and it had little effect, he ct me off that lot too about 2/5 - 3 months later, which led to me having a seizure.

 

I went back to the surgery and was put back on at 20mg ( original dose was 30mg), and after a few weeks i was back up and running again, except i still had certain symptoms that refused to leave, namely brain fog and flat emotions, after googling i found the other site and discovered the reason for my symptoms and suffering, and began a slow taper in november 2007, hence the brain fog left completely over night and fingers crossed has not returned.

I suffered horrific anxiety and akathesia in my slow taper off to be med free.

 

I still am not sure now wether i did the right thing in going back on, yes it gave me 18months of being able to function without the nasty symptoms, but it also gave me problems the second time around, that i never had in ct wd too, plus it took me 56 long months to get off.

Had i stayed off in the first place i would now be nearly 7 yrs off and hopefully well again, as it is, ive suffered more torment and now at 3months off.

 

On bad days now, im not ashamed to admit the thought does cross my mind that maybe going back on would bring me some better days with fewer symptoms, but i have also to admit, im terrified of what im going through, and also terrified to reinstate any other psyche drug too, so i have to just ride it out - think its the only way to be well again. Problem is ..... i never ride it out quietly guys lol sorry!!!!!always on here whining about awful days and symptoms, guess im just scared of pinning some symptom on wd that really has nothing to do with any of this at all.

Began taking 30mg Seroxat on 15th Jan 1997 for grief issues. Remained at that dosage until Dec 05, did doctor ct, akathesia set in along with being non functional and overly emotional, brain fog. Doctor prescribed prozac, propranelol and diazeapam to counteract side effects, and told me to ct those 3 after 2.5/3 months use, induced wd seizure on 2nd day after ct. Was reinstated on seroxat 20mg in april 06, remained at that dose until Nov 07 and began a very slow taper lasting 56 months, finally DRUG FREE on 11th may 2011.

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I went off Zoloft and Wellbutrin with a few months of tapering (last steps too fast) in 2008, and then "reinstated" almost exactly fourth months afterwards because I had started having panic and anxiety. Taking the ADs again I felt better almost immediately, but has to take clonazepam for the anxiety once in a while for a couple of weeks to deal with the "amped up" feeling of taking the ADs again (Zoloft being the probable culprit). Once I stabilized I was fine and only quit because I wanted to get pregnant.

 

I think it "worked" for me to reinstate after 4 months because I put up with a couple of weeks of jitteriness and such created by the ADs and didn't freak out about it. I had JUST started to suffer from anxiety, though... maybe one or two weeks. The other stuff, like depression, depersonalization, anhedonia, etc. had also just started, and those were immediately relieved by reinstating. I should mention that I felt immediately bad after quitting the meds, but in a way I could handle... really emotional, getting back in touch with my huge sensitivity, etc. But not that creepy weird-bad that I now think of as withdrawal... probably my brain starting to spastically find its way back to normal.

'94-'08 On/off ADs. Mostly Zoloft & Wellbutrin, but also Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, etc.
6/08 quit Z & W after tapering, awful anxiety 3 mos. later, reinstated.
11/10 CTed. Severe anxiety 3 mos. later & @ 8 mos. much worse (set off by metronidazole). Anxiety, depression, anhedonia, DP, DR, dizziness, severe insomnia, high serum AM cortisol, flu-like feelings, muscle discomfort.
9/11-9/12 Waves and windows of recovery.
10/12 Awful relapse, DP/DR. Hydrocortisone?
11/12 Improved fairly quickly even though relapse was one of worst waves ever.

1/13 Best I've ever felt.

3/13 A bit of a relapse... then faster and shorter waves and windows.

4/14 Have to watch out for triggers, but feel completely normal about 80% of the time.

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  • 11 months later...

Not sure if my story is what you're asking for, but...

 

I've had two previous attempts to get off 20mg Lexapro. The first one I think I did 15mg etc and it failed pretty fast and I reinstated to 20mg for a while. (Months, maybe a year or so?)

 

I accidentally almost-CTd from 20mg Lexapro (to 1.8mg, dont' ask...) for a few days and thoroughly messed myself up. (It was very frightening, until I worked out what had happened.) :) I "reinstated" to 18mg for a month and then proceded to taper down by 2mg a month (sometimes 1mg a fortnight x2 in a month). I was a mess from about 10mg down, rollercoaster depression, with each stable period being lower than the first. Finally, at about 6mg (? not sure, lost in the mists of time) I reinstated to about 10mg (or maybe 15, ditto previous mists comment). I only got relief when I updosed back to 20mg. I did get relief pretty fast at that point. On doctor's advice that the slow taper was all about avoiding zaps etc and nothing to do with any depressive symptoms; that the depression I was experiencing meant I should stay on the meds until the 5 year mark (because apparently there is research to show that after a failed attempt or two you should stay put on the meds for that time and then there is a better chance of it all working). This was about 2 years or so.

 

Third try lucky (so far, touch wood) and no thinking of reinstatement this time.

 

Sorry to be so vague here, I remember the outline of what happened, but no longer remember the details...

2005 St John's Wort / 2006-2012 Lexapro 20mg, 2 failed attempts to stop, tapered over 4.5 months in early 2012

January 2013 started Sertraline, over time worked up to 100mg

July 2014 Sertraline dropped from 100mg to 75mg, held for six months, slower tapering until 2019 22 Dec 3.2mg

2020 Sertraline 19 Jan 3.1mg, 26 Jan 3.0mg; 1 Mar 2.9, 7 Mar 2.8, May (some drops here) 24 May 2.5, May 29 2.4, June 21 2.3, June 28 2.2mg,  July 4 2.1mg, July 24 (or maybe a bit before) 2mg, early Nov switched to home made suspension; 29 Nov 1.8mg; approx 25 Dec 1.6mg)

2021 Some time in about Jan/Feb realised probably on more like 1.8mg and poss mixing error in making suspension; doses after 10 Feb accurate; 10 Feb 1.6mg; 7 Mar 1.4, continued monthly

10% drops until 1mg, then dropped 0.1mg monthly.

May 2022,0.1mg, now dropping 0.01mg per week

29 August 2022 - first day of zero!

My thread here at SA: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1775-bubbles/page/21/

Current: Armour Thyroid

 

 

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After I fast tapered Effexor my GP put me on citalopram, which caused anxiety and akathisia in my arms and legs. I stayed on it for a week before going back to Effexor.

 

I initially reinstated 9mg, which caused a hot energised feeling in my arms and legs. I also had an actual hot flush.

 

I stayed on 9mg for about a week before going up to 37.5mg. The symptoms settled after 2 weeks. Then I went up to my original dose of 75mg cos my dr told me to. Two weeks on 75mg and I felt much worse. So I came back down to 37.5mg.

 

Stayed there for a while and started taking Ritalin again. After about a week the Ritalin destabilised me. I decided to drop the dosr anyway and had bad w/d. Bounced the dose around and now I'm paying for it.

 

Generally I feel the reinstatement worked because I am much better than I was after my fast taper. But messing around with my dose has caused problems.

I suspect if I had just stayed on 37.5mg for a good while I would have been ok. That's what I plan to do for now as I have had insomnia for the past week.

2003-2011: Paroxetine,Citalopram,Effexor; Aug/Sept 2011: Effexor to Mirtazapine; Oct 2011: C/T Mirtazapine back to Effexor; Nov/Dec 2011: Fast Tapered Effexor - w/d hell; Feb 2012: Reinstated Effexor 37.5mg; June 2012: Dropped to 35.6mg; Jan 2016: Propranolol 2.5mg per day for general anxiety; Feb 2016: Finasteride 0.25mg per week to slow hair loss; 18th May - 8th June 2019: Started Vyvanse 7.5mg and increased by 7.5mg weekly to 30mg (lowest “therapeutic” dose for adults).; 21st June 2019 - 12th July: Cross tapered from venlafaxine brand Rodomel to Efexor (1/4 > 1/2 > 3/4 weekly before ditching Rodomel); 13th July 2019: Cut Vyvanse dose to 15mg; 15th July 2019: Akathisia returned after years of being free; 16th July 2019: Went back up to Vyvanse 30mg

Supplements: Omega-3, Vitamin D, Zinc, Phosphatidylserine 

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I just wanted to tell you about the breakthrough that occurred in me yesterday. I had gone off Effexor Xr 150mg in the matter of about two months. Let's just say 4 months later every horrible symptom of withdrawl was still there. I couldn't sleep the past 7 days( Sleeping pills), I had terrible anxiety and started to think, did I come off this drug way too quickly, maybe I will just battle it out. So I made a bunch of posts in my introduction and had much feedback over the 4 months , which really helped btw.

 

Then Alto the administrator suggested taking 10 grains to ease the nervous system, at first I thought how is this going to make a difference 10 grains. Well the first day I took 10 grains and WOW did it ever calm me down, everything changed.

 

First I went with my Dad and we were taking a trip to see his mother my grandma, she is ill with dementia. So naturally these trips bring up alot of emotion because we love and care for her so much. My father is really close with her. Well sitting down with her we started talking about how I had alot of pressure on myself as a kid, how all I tried to do was make them see the positive side of life(then I'd run to my room crying cause they never agreed I was frustrated back in the day). So for awhile there I battled as I was changing as a teenager into a adult 18-24. I really wanted to be my own self and see positive in everything, which was extremely hard to do with his/mom attitude.

 

Long story short, he saw the pain that he inflicted over all those years and why I was struggling now with a big part of my life and depression/anxiety and not knowing how to deal with my emotions- QUE THE BREAKDOWN

 

We are returning home from a 2 hour drive and he completely breaks down, start to Cry. My Dad always tries to not cry infront of me, never seen this really before but I know he is soft inside. He totally loses it, says I AM SORRY FOR EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE, THE PRESSURE I PUT ON YOU, THE ARGUMENTS ETC. I got all teary eyed but kept my composure, this now was all coming together for me.

 

That night after I got dropped off at my apartment, I went for a walk and realized it had all been one big circle and I was always just looking for that admittance from him as I always denied I was making up all this stuff about their negativity etc. So I went for a walk, sky was blue. The sky started to turn orange and then became Pink all over, it was quite amazing. I started txting friends , apologizing to them for my actions while drugged on effexor for so long cause that wasn't me. But those 10 GRAINS was enough to bring me to a even level again and be able to accept everything and why it had happened and where I was going. This point the sky is engulfed around me as I walk around the lap track.

 

 

I just completely break down, start crying ( FINALLY) it had been years, never on effexor did I cry , just shrugged my grandparents deaths off(So close to me). So the tears started flooding. Walked back to my apartment.

 

Went on Facebook and then Dad calls, Says he enjoyed our day and it really changed his outlook on things and how inside I was really feeling. So I read him a statement I posted on facebook about How thankful I am to have endured 29 years on this earth, thankful for the experiences good and bad, the people, family and hope the next 60yrs are fulfilling etc, I COMPLETELY LOST IT , couldn't even mutter all the woods, he is like it's okay....tears flowing but it felt like a huge weight off my chest.

 

2nd day on 10 grains( I FELL ASLEEP IN A DEEP SLEEP ) For the first time without any sleep medication, just a piece of melatonin .5mg, apparently 9mg was too much the first night, why does the bottle state that 1-3 pills before bed and they are 3mg each. Thankfully I read up on this sight under the right topic.

 

So was this a breakthrough? Somebody let me know and where do I take it from here?10 grains for how long? and once I eventually reduce will my body regain itself ?or go back to insomnia state and anxiety riddled? I will be doing everything I can diet,exercise,sleep,nutrients to prevent this but what is a good timeline?

 

IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING AFTER SO MANY MONTHS OF WITHDRAWL AND THINK YOU TAPERED, WENT OFF IT TOO QUICK, LISTEN TO ADVICE.

 

 

I honestly feel I can function now and have my life back, it's only day 2 but has a lot of promise. Amazing what 10 beads can do. Would love feedback on my story with my dad(repressed feelings etc.)

 

 

P.S Doctors would have been so close to putting me back on Medication stating Relapse , don't be fooled

 

It's a long road but is definitely worth every bit of it, we are only human and we learn from all these experiences, take it all in and one day at a time.

2005-2012started Effexor xr 225mg -150mg- Varied

2months of Taper,(March 22/2012 Off Med/in W/D)

Currently No medication

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2007-2012started Effexor xr 225mg -150mg- Varied2months of Taper,(March 22/2012 Off Med/in W/D)Currently No medicationMarch 22/2012- August 16/2012 - Totally Off Effexor( Rough Rough time) Reinstatement for a week(didn't work)****** New Doctor******* Very nice/helpful and in touch.Tried Zoloft- No successAUGUST 17/2012- STARTED 37.5 EFFEXOR FOR ONE WEEK - NOT GOOD < STOPPED.Started Buspar Oct 11th 2012----10 mg for the first 7 days and then 15mg a day---- Taking a new route----Racing thoughts - Gone.Oct 9th ( Done Zoloft,wellbutrin week project trial to feel better) - OFFICIALLY OFF ANTI DEPRESSANT !Oct 26 - Raised Buspar to 20mg a day- Tolerating wellJan 2nd 2013-

Reduce Buspar until full off march 20th 2015 Off all medication !

Tried natural supplements to no avail

Gluten/sugar free since december 2013

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  • 5 months later...
  • Administrator

Bumping -- please add your experience with reinstatement.

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

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I took Paxil for a month and then tried to stop it and had terrible withdrawal and then started Celexa and my withdrawal from the Paxil did clear up. And that happened in the past when I quit taking Prozac and then started on Wellbutrin later and my withdrawal depression resolved. So I think it's possible there may be enough overlap between the mechanisms of the different drugs that a different drug can help.

 

I don't have much to offer since i was serially polydrugged with several cold switches since mid 90s. Never knew i was experiencing withdrawal by the time I was on new drug/s.

 

About 6 months after sloppy Pristiq taper, i was very depressed and tried a crumb of Pristiq (coating broken). It made me very anxious, agitated and a (very bad) speedy. I had never felt that on any SS/NRI.

 

My endocrinologist is against anything serotonergic for anyone due to the cardiometabolic problems. We haven't discussed neuroleptics, but i suspect his opinion is similarly bad.

 

He is aware of withdrawal, but i haven't broached the subject recently. I told him that the wacky neurological symptoms began with taper of Pristiq. He is attributing symptoms to the vascular brain lesions that showed on MRI, assuming they are autoimmune damage. Would not reinstate Pristiq but Rx'd Wellbutrin (theoretically dopaminergic and noradrenergic), but i have been very hesitant to start it.

*He is looking for ACTIVATION and stimulation for HypoBarb*

Anxiety was strong during taper, but has passed for the most part. Depression, low BP, low heart rate, low energy is predominant.

 

I don't like the idea, but will probably try because I have been in a very hopeless, low mood for several months. Nonfunctional. Will report back.

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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I reinstated celexa for 4 weeks starting after thanksgiving, it did not work. I started having panic attacks two weeks in at 20mgs, they subsided for a bit but then came back a couple of weeks later. I risked a very fast taper (over the course of a week) and am not on the celexa anymore. But the kindling effect has left me in a constant anxious mood that isn't really getting better. I hope that things get a little better so I can continue to live my life. I fully expect to be in protracted withdrawals for a very long long time unfortunately.

On 20 mg Celexa for 7 years for insomnia and GAD

Tapered from 20 mg to 0 from Aug 2011 to Dec 2nd 2011

Used Xanax intermittently over the past 7 years, and through WD.

Started 50 mgs Trazodone in June but am starting to taper off due to bad eye twitching, suspected Trazodone is the cause. Went to 25 mg in October and then 12.5 in December and then 0mg on Dec 20th.

 

Reinstated citalopram at 10 mgs on Nov 26th, then up to 20 mgs on Dec 3rd. Started kindling reaction on Dec 10th. Decided a very quick taper to 10 mgs for a 2 days and then 5mgs for a 2 more. Holding at 2.5 mg and beginning to stabilize. Reinstated trazodone to 12.5 mgs.

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I was on celexa for years and went from 10mg to 0 in around 6 weeks, which was WAY too fast for me. I had extreme insomnia (1-2 hrs a night), weeping, chest pain, muscle cramping and shooting pains in mt arms and hands. After around 6 weeks of being off of the meds, I went back on (at the suggestion of a new psychiatrist, who it turns out, doesnt believe in withdrawal at all and believes anyone can just stop cold turkey). I was on 10 mgs for 2 months and it did nothing... ended up on 30 mg...

only a minor improvement in my withdrawal symptoms.

Then I soaked my feet in epsom salt (magnesium) and it changed my life completely. While the insomnia was still present, I no longer had the muscle cramping, chest pain, shooting pains and my sleep increased to around 4.5 hrs a night. Then I had to ween off of 30 mg of the darn celexa!

I got down to 2.5 mg with little incident. I was sleeping 5-6 hrs a night and feeling a lot better in general. Then I went from 2.5 to 0 (because my dr refused to give me the liquid and I got frustrated with the tiny pieces of the pills). Well, that didnt go well at all. But now I found a new Dr and have liquid celexa. I went back on 2.5 mg and feel a little better- not as good as I felt before going to 0, but a little better.

I think each time I reinstated, maybe I felt 25% better, at most.

2003-2010 up and down 10-40mg celexa for anxiety
2/2011 10mg
8/2011 5mg for 3 wks, then stopped completely.
middle of night waking after apx 1-2 hours of sleep (nightly), panic/jitteriness after waking
11/11 back on 30mg celexa, ambien/many supplements-insomnia/panic.
2/12 30mg celexa, many supplements (Magnesium eliminated morning tight chest/jitteriness). Off ambien!
7/12 20mg
8/12 15 mg(sleep improving,mood pos)
12/12 2.3 mg got liquid celexa!
1/13 2.1 mg
3/13 1.2 mg
4/13 down to .6 too quickly- cortisol spikes, middle of night waking, night sweats...
4/13 held at .6 for 3 weeks so far. Off most supplements as well. Withdrawal depression almost gone!

7/13 OFF OF CELEXA!!!

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I tapered off 8 years of Lexapro, in retrospect giving up the last 5 mg way too fast. It was okay for the first weeks, then - enter horrible withdrawal - anxiety, depression, unable to eat, heart rate went crazy, pains everywhere...

 

Three months nearly to the day after reinstating Lexapro 10 mg my depression/anxiety symptoms are nearly gone, and I'm just anxious to begin tapering again. I'll give it a few more months but really I just want this crap out of my system and to never take another psych med again.

 

To OP: Now that you've gone 9 months without meds I'd definitely try and continue without meds if you can stand it at all.

1998-2001 Cipramil (Citalopram) 20-60 mg
2001-3 drug free
2003-5 Cipramil 40 mg
2005-7 Cipralex (escatilopram/Lexapro) 20 mg
2007 unsuccesful 3-month taper, mild depression resulted in meds restart
2007-9 20 mg Cipralex
2009 3-month taper, same result
2009-10 20 mg Cipralex
2010-12 slow taper, stable on 10 mg for half a year. Tapered completely over 3 months or so the summer of 2012. Slow onset of depressive/withdrawal symptoms over 1-2 months to severe depression, anxiety in September-October.
Back on 10 mg since oct 10th or so, withdrawal symptoms abated but still present.

2016: at 1,6 mg and slowly tapering off. Feeling GOOD!

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Have you gone back on an antidepressant, or did you do so as part of your tapering off? How long were you off ADs before you reinstated? Did you go back on a the same AD, or a different one?

 

What was your experience like?

 

[i have been off Zoloft for 9 months now. When I have particularly bad days, I consider going back on Zoloft with the idea of restabilizing and then tapering off very slowly. I did go off zoloft once before, but went back on it within a couple months, before I had any issues with insomnia.]

 

I decided to c/t 300mg trazodone last year, after five days I went back on it.

I was ok for the first few days, but by the fifth, I didn't feel good at all and went back on.

The reason I cold turkeyed it was because you have to eat before taking the med, and it's not always convenient for me to eat.

This was before I knew that AD's were really bad to cold turkey.

pregan taper 600mg down to 240mg, daily cuts since xmas

valium, just over 75mg, tapering 0.1 a day, will keep this more udated, cos amounts going down

i have borderline personality, chronic ptsd, and suspected adhd and substance misuse as a symptom, which i am addressing with help of medical staff, drugs agencies & mh sta

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  • 1 month later...

Over the past 16 years, I've reinstated many times, and each time it has worked for me, though the results I got from one drug or another were better or worse (for example, I really did not like being on Effexor, and Celexa was OK but it made me too emotionally flat). I don't know what would happen in the future, but I'm not willing to risk it. It's a crapshoot, like you say!

 

Edit: I should mention that each time I reinstated at most 4 months had passed. I've never tried reinstating after a long period. I suspect that is when it would be most risky.

 

Hi Nadia, I noticed that you mentioned that you reinstated after about four months and it worked well for you. Did you reinstate the same or different drug? I'm reinstating prozac after being off Effexor.

Paxil 1995-2008 (took sixty mg for many years and tapered to 10 mg with two pregnancies and maintained this dose for twelve years)

Lexapro 2008 (20 mg)

Effexor March 2012(37.5)

(two weeks later) (67mg)

(one month later) (37.5)

Mid October 2012 (37.5) every other day for 10 days then discontinued completely

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Well, if we're calling this reinstatement -- I took Prozac for a couple of years, tapered off without a problem.

 

A few years later, I started Paxil, the drug that changed my life (and not for the better). It seemed to "work" for a year or so, then I got side effects of demotivation, emotional blunting.

This is pretty much identical to my story, and I think that's distressing, to say at least, that things like those could happen to people around the globe and psychiatrists still DON'T accept the possibility of a withdrawal syndrome.

 

That said, I've reinstated Duloxetine after four months of cold turkey and it did work for the grand majority of symptoms. I still suffered (and I'm still suffering) from some urinary problems that casually started as soon as I stopped Duloxetine.

 

Then after a month I was forced to stop the medication cold turkey another time. I did not try to reinstate it again since other 4 months have passed.

From 2001 to 2010, I took almost continuosly a host of different SSRIs , including Prozac, Celexa and Paxil, plus various benzodiazepines and Bupropion for a limited period of time.

 

From July 2010 to April 2012 >> Duloxetine, dose ranging from 60mg to 120mg.

 

From August 2012 to September 2012 >> reinstated 30 mg of Duloxetine

 

From September 2012 until present days >> Valproic Acid/Sodium Valproate, dose ranging from 300mg to 1000mg. Now I'm on 400mg. I've also taken Amisulpride (50mg) for 9 days and Abilify (10ml) only once.

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  • 2 years later...

I am here to add my reinstatment story - I never actually got off my Paxil but I was down to 5mg before reinstating- I went up to 10amd it helped a bit, then I went to 20 and things got really bad- I thought it was just start up symptoms so I stuck it out for 5 months

 

 

Once I started decreasing I began feeling better - I am doing a slow taper even tho I feel so horrible - my ears are constantly ringing, I have really horrible blurry vision, mouth feels like it's burning all the time- I sleep for days at a time, I don't get out of bed for any reason- I am becoming increasingly anxious and have horribly waves of doom and depressed feelings that come and go -

 

I am at 16.5 mg right now and will continue a slow taper for fear of getting worse -

 

*Currently at 8.2-8.5 mg of my 10mg pill of Paxil (they actually weigh 12.5mg) 

january 2023 I began reducing my med again. I was a 9mg weight for years, I went to 8.9 in January, went to 8.6mg in February, and in March 2023 I went down to 8.5-8.2 mg ( my scale varies, so I stick within that .3 range because of that) 

*No other supplements or vitamins 

*Taper schedule in the pdf 

Blank.pdf

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-5vShtJtwAOGA30OxIP87steLmMdFzD29F0fzAPD564

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It worked for me I think. You can see my signature for details. I reinstated very quickly both my AD in February and my AP in April. 

I suffer from depression, anxiety, pure-o ocd, and panic attacks since 2004. Been on multiple different psychiatric drugs since 2006. Never had a significant WD problem before, only brain zaps for a month and then I'd be fine...............Been on Cipralex (escitalopram) 15 mg and Fluanxol (flupentixol) 1 mg since Sep 2014. Stopped taking the Cipralex after a fast 20-day taper.Took the last 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 5th, 2015. Then took Seroxat (paroxetine) 10 mg for a week, and stopped it too. Severe WD started suddenly on Feb 16th. RI 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 18th, 2015. RI worked and was relatively stable for a while................April 7 - decreased Fluanxol from 1 mg to 0.5 mg and took it at this dose for a week. - BIG MISTAKE; April 13 - WD starts creeping in; April 14 - RI full dose of Fluanxol 1 mg => severe muscle twitching and jerking when trying to relax and fall asleep, overwhelming sense of doom, dread, terror, and horror, insomnia, hoping to stabilize.
Tried doing a 10% cut off Fluanxol in the end of May for a few days, but quickly updosed to full dose because the twitching returned.
Experiencing waves and windows in the following months.
Unsuccessful brief taper attempt of Fluanxol by 5% on November 1st. Symptoms hit the next day. Too scared to continue tapering, reinstate full dose.
Severe crash in November after stupidly trying a barbiturate on November 9th. Grave mistake. Sense of unshakable inescapable internal torture, like my soul is in hell being tortured, terror/horror/dread/doom (probably akathisia?) that gets especially bad when trying to relax and fall asleep, muscles twitch, jerk and move on their own, shaking, insomnia, can't eat, confusion, disorientation, brain not working normally. Never felt so bad in my entire life. Never experiment with other meds while in WD! Praying to God I stabilize and get back to my baseline.
December - things getting even worse.

January - unbearable suffering

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I don't really have a reinstatement story as such, it's more of a med switch story to try and combat withdrawal symptoms. I went through a period of about three months trying to, unsuccessfully, taper the atypical antipsychotic asenapine (saphris, sycrest), in what I thought was a slow taper, 5mg wafer cut into quarters reducing at 2 week intervals. Being sublingual only ,this is the only method of tapering I could think of.

Obviously this was way too fast and didn't work.I suffered relentless anxiety/ocd, and insomnia from hell, I was switched over to 10mg of olanzapine to try and stabilize.

While the olanzapine did take the edge of the anxiety, it is still present and so is the insomnia, over the past seven months I've tapered down to 3.75mg of olanzapine and added in, (stupidly) 50mg quetiapine. I haven't really been able to stabilize from this, I'm holding where I am for a while to see if things improve some.

If I had to redo this again, I wouldn't have rushed things, and held at 10mg for allot longer than I did, and then taper slowly down from that, like was suggested to me here in the first place..

MEDS HISTORY

2004 hospitalized for acute alcohol induced psychosis and started on my psych drug merry-go-round.2004-2006 SSRI > SNRI Merry-go-round finally settled on Effexor. Also was started on Risperdal in 2004 but switched to seroquell after I had a bad reaction to it.2008. Was switched from Effexor to pristiq, Also managed to successfully Quit Seroquel Cold Turkey.Asenapine- 5mg- August 2014 ~ May 2015. Was put on for Social Anxiety, was great at first then started developing disabling side effects, did a rapid taper and so started my withdrawal nightmare...

MEDS CURRENT

Pristiq-100mg ~ Currently holding

Olanzapine- 3.75mg May 2015 ~ Currently tapering by -.06mg per week (Jan 2016, 3.5mg  ~Feb 2016 intractable insomnia updose to 3.75mg)

Quetiapine- 50mg June 2015  ~Dec 25 2015 Quit cold turkey. ~(Feb 6 2016 hit with intractable insomnia - reinstated 50mg.)

August 2016 : Became destabilised after messing around with cutting doses, trying THC oil etc eventually stabilised,

Held doses for 5 years.

January 2022: Hit poop out, struggling to get more than 3 hours sleep, been one week straight of pure hell, praying to hold on. 

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I did an unsuccessful reinstatement from 4mg to 5mg and got a hole bunch of new WD symptoms including akathasia and insomnia. The next day i dropped back to 4mg and luckily those terrible symptoms have been alleviating since but are still there somewhat. I really would love to hear experiences how long it has taken for you to stabilize again (to the previous state?) after unsuccessful reinstatement?

Citalopram 40mg from 2003-2015

Jan 2015 started tapering first dropped to 35mgFeb 30mg, March 25mgApril 20mg, May 17,5mg, June 15mgJuly 12,5mg, Aug 12,5mg,

Sep 0mg for 5 days because of stomac flu and after I raised to 7,5mg. All the symptoms of acute WD shaking, diarrhea, vomiting, barely could walk ect. Still didn't realize that it wasn't only stomac flu but I was also going through WD.

Oct 2,5mg and crashed again badly and quickly raised to 4mg. It was then when I knew my symptoms were due to WD.

Then in November after a month holding on 4mg raised to 5mg due to muscle weakness and had a VERY BAD reaction to reinstatement: akathisia(lasted for one or two weeks), insomnia, anhedonia... Drop quicly back to 4mg, Dec 3mg

Jan 2016 2,6mg( in the middle of Jan after I had been on 2,6mg for a week I tried to updose to 2,8mg and immediately had bad reaction to it: akathisia for a day, andehonia got worse. The next day dropped back to 2,6mg), Feb 2,4mg( a new symptom PGAD lasted 24/7 for 2 months after that on and off), March 2,4mg, April 2,3mg, May 2,2mg, June 2,1mg, July 2,0mg( Pgad almost nonexisting, sleeping pretty good, still some anhedonia but there has been a lot of gradual progress), Aug 1,97mg-1,89mg, Sep 1,88mg-1,49mg, Oct 1,48mg- 1,70mg,

Nov 0,65mg- current dose 0,5mg

 

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I reinstated at 6.25 mg of Zoloft (my last "big" dose was 25 mg) while holding at 3.5 mg of Buspar - I felt ok for the first few weeks then had some symptoms.... like a dummy, I upped the Zoloft to 12.5 and did NOT do well with it at all.  I took 3 doses of the higher and decided to just go back to the 6.25 and stay there.... for months if need be.  From everything I've read, it could be days/weeks/even a few months to stabilize.  Patience is indeed a virtue when dealing with these drugs. 

On Zoloft for 10 years (50 mg) for GAD & panic attacks

Weaned off fall of 2013, terrible set back in Feb '14 back on 100 mg & trazadone to sleep.

Did CT off of Zoloft in May 2014 - bad decision!

Back on 50 mg Zoloft & Xanax as needed (was upped to 75 mg by doctor in Feb 2015)

Started to wean off of Zoloft in April 2015 ~ totally off Zoloft in Oct 2015 and now am on Buspar 11.25 mg to help.

I was on a 50 mg pill & 25 mg pill - I cut the 25 mg pill in half (12.5) and took that with the 50 for 6 weeks - 1st week June 2015

 50 mg for another 6 weeks. 25 mg in half and the 50 mg in half (37.5), 25 mg mid Sept for about 2 weeks.,1/2 of the 25 mg last week of Sept/1st week of Oct then off.

Update** 9 mg Zoloft reinstated early Nov 15, along with 1.5 mg Buspar daily. On .50 of Buspar & 9 mg of Zoloft. Oct '16 - off of Buspar, Nov '16 - down to 7.5 mg Zoloft. March'17 - 4 mg Zoloft. July'17 - 2 mg, Sept 1 mg. Oct'17 - off! Done!

I also take magnesium, L theanine, Gaba Calm, L Glutamine, Vit B complex(for methyl issues), Liver & Gall bladder support, Zinc, Whole Food Vit C & Fish Oil. DARE & the bible are the tools I use to help navigate this  process.

 

 

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It didn't work for me even though I never really made it to 0, but I was taking a very tiny amount for some time.

My reinstatement amount was probably too high and in fact it made things worse.

 

Got severe insomnia as soon as I reinstated...

10/2012 - Lexapro 10mg

2013/2014 - Started experiencing visual disturbances, like visual processing was slow, feeling drunk all the time

9/2014 - Lexapro 5mg, didn't notice any withdrawal, drunk feeling went away

2015 - Drunk feeling came back

5/2015 - Lexapro 2.5mg - 1.25mg - insomnia started

6/2015 - Lexapro 0.625mg

7/2015 - Severe symptoms started, in desperation on advice of pdoc restarted 5mg Lexapro - total disaster

8/2015 - Lexapro 5mg, disoriented, sleepless zombie

9/2015 - Very reluctantly started transitioning to Zoloft

as of 10/10/2105 - no lexapro, 37.5mg Zoloft

12/14/2015 - 35mg zoloft, 1/16/2016 - 34mg

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StarC, did you have any pain in your eyes when the severe insomnia started? Did the transition to Zoloft help? 

Citalopram 40mg from 2003-2015

Jan 2015 started tapering first dropped to 35mgFeb 30mg, March 25mgApril 20mg, May 17,5mg, June 15mgJuly 12,5mg, Aug 12,5mg,

Sep 0mg for 5 days because of stomac flu and after I raised to 7,5mg. All the symptoms of acute WD shaking, diarrhea, vomiting, barely could walk ect. Still didn't realize that it wasn't only stomac flu but I was also going through WD.

Oct 2,5mg and crashed again badly and quickly raised to 4mg. It was then when I knew my symptoms were due to WD.

Then in November after a month holding on 4mg raised to 5mg due to muscle weakness and had a VERY BAD reaction to reinstatement: akathisia(lasted for one or two weeks), insomnia, anhedonia... Drop quicly back to 4mg, Dec 3mg

Jan 2016 2,6mg( in the middle of Jan after I had been on 2,6mg for a week I tried to updose to 2,8mg and immediately had bad reaction to it: akathisia for a day, andehonia got worse. The next day dropped back to 2,6mg), Feb 2,4mg( a new symptom PGAD lasted 24/7 for 2 months after that on and off), March 2,4mg, April 2,3mg, May 2,2mg, June 2,1mg, July 2,0mg( Pgad almost nonexisting, sleeping pretty good, still some anhedonia but there has been a lot of gradual progress), Aug 1,97mg-1,89mg, Sep 1,88mg-1,49mg, Oct 1,48mg- 1,70mg,

Nov 0,65mg- current dose 0,5mg

 

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Ugh i wrote a big reply but it disappeared:(

But short version reinstating made things worse for me.

I transitioned to zoloft, my sleep is a little better but i am in very bad place still :(

10/2012 - Lexapro 10mg

2013/2014 - Started experiencing visual disturbances, like visual processing was slow, feeling drunk all the time

9/2014 - Lexapro 5mg, didn't notice any withdrawal, drunk feeling went away

2015 - Drunk feeling came back

5/2015 - Lexapro 2.5mg - 1.25mg - insomnia started

6/2015 - Lexapro 0.625mg

7/2015 - Severe symptoms started, in desperation on advice of pdoc restarted 5mg Lexapro - total disaster

8/2015 - Lexapro 5mg, disoriented, sleepless zombie

9/2015 - Very reluctantly started transitioning to Zoloft

as of 10/10/2105 - no lexapro, 37.5mg Zoloft

12/14/2015 - 35mg zoloft, 1/16/2016 - 34mg

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I don't think i had any eye pain but i had and have a lot of other symptoms.

I am sleeping a little better now, I don't know if zoloft helped and I don't recommend going to yet another ad as a way out.

10/2012 - Lexapro 10mg

2013/2014 - Started experiencing visual disturbances, like visual processing was slow, feeling drunk all the time

9/2014 - Lexapro 5mg, didn't notice any withdrawal, drunk feeling went away

2015 - Drunk feeling came back

5/2015 - Lexapro 2.5mg - 1.25mg - insomnia started

6/2015 - Lexapro 0.625mg

7/2015 - Severe symptoms started, in desperation on advice of pdoc restarted 5mg Lexapro - total disaster

8/2015 - Lexapro 5mg, disoriented, sleepless zombie

9/2015 - Very reluctantly started transitioning to Zoloft

as of 10/10/2105 - no lexapro, 37.5mg Zoloft

12/14/2015 - 35mg zoloft, 1/16/2016 - 34mg

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StarC, It's good that you are sleeping better and you have luckily been on ADs only three years so hopefully your withdrawals are not  going to last very long. I wish you will heal asap!!

Citalopram 40mg from 2003-2015

Jan 2015 started tapering first dropped to 35mgFeb 30mg, March 25mgApril 20mg, May 17,5mg, June 15mgJuly 12,5mg, Aug 12,5mg,

Sep 0mg for 5 days because of stomac flu and after I raised to 7,5mg. All the symptoms of acute WD shaking, diarrhea, vomiting, barely could walk ect. Still didn't realize that it wasn't only stomac flu but I was also going through WD.

Oct 2,5mg and crashed again badly and quickly raised to 4mg. It was then when I knew my symptoms were due to WD.

Then in November after a month holding on 4mg raised to 5mg due to muscle weakness and had a VERY BAD reaction to reinstatement: akathisia(lasted for one or two weeks), insomnia, anhedonia... Drop quicly back to 4mg, Dec 3mg

Jan 2016 2,6mg( in the middle of Jan after I had been on 2,6mg for a week I tried to updose to 2,8mg and immediately had bad reaction to it: akathisia for a day, andehonia got worse. The next day dropped back to 2,6mg), Feb 2,4mg( a new symptom PGAD lasted 24/7 for 2 months after that on and off), March 2,4mg, April 2,3mg, May 2,2mg, June 2,1mg, July 2,0mg( Pgad almost nonexisting, sleeping pretty good, still some anhedonia but there has been a lot of gradual progress), Aug 1,97mg-1,89mg, Sep 1,88mg-1,49mg, Oct 1,48mg- 1,70mg,

Nov 0,65mg- current dose 0,5mg

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

After 10 weeks off last dose of Cipralex (10mg), took Alto's advice and when I hit my next wave which was last weekend, I re-instated at 2.5mg.

 

Overall have been feeling stabilized just more tired which goes with the territory.  Sleeping well without needing to take Melatonin (10mg), appetite has returned but still have loud tinnitus.

 

No more horrendous headaches, nausea, body pains, GI upsets (GI system has returned to normal).

 

Continuing to monitor things but am aware that there could be changes in the next couple of weeks.

 

If all goes well, I would consider tapering off 2.5mg rather than updosing to 5mg.

Dose History: 19 Feb 2014 - Escitalopram 10mg daily June 2015 - Started taper, 5mg every other day July 2015 - 5mg every 2 days August 2015 - 5mg every 3 days September 2015 - 5mg every 4 days Sept 14th - Completed tapering, but at 7 weeks "drug free" I suffered serious WD symptoms as a consequence of "incorrect" tapering. Nov 25 2015 - Re-instated Cipralex @ 2.5mg daily. WD symptoms faded. Held at this dose and experienced "windows and waves". 12 Oct 2017 Reduced dose to 1.25mg. 13 Mar 2018 Reduced dose to 0.625mg (approx.). 16 April 2018 0mg. Windows and waves triggered by stress (IBS/reflux, headaches, sinus issues) Aug 2019 Mirena coil fitted 6 Jan 2020 MAJOR Wave hit 19 months following last dose (protracted WD).  Symptoms listed below Mar 2020 Mirena coil removal.

Therapy: Nov 15th 2016 Re-started therapy Jan 19th 2017 Started CBT Dec 2017 Started listening to Hypnotherapy CD (self-esteem). Nov 2019 Started couples therapy.

Supplements: "Bioglan" Biotic Balance Ultimate Flora 10 billion CFU, live Bacteria, Probiotic, suitable for Vegetarians, with Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Longum"Pukka" Vitalise a unique blend of 30 energising botanicals.

Diet: 16 April 2018 Detox cleanse / anti-candida for 90 days. Jan 2020 Started "small plate" diet (i.e child size portions).

Exercise: Stretching, Yoga, Pilates, Spinning, Elliptical/upper body workout, walking.

Medical Test Results: 4 Jan 2017 Homeopathic Treatment starts 24 Feb 2017 Started weight loss program 24 Mar 2017 Naturopathic Treatment + anti-Candida diet started due to suspected Candida Related Complex (CRC). DETOXED for 7 weeks to "re-set" gut. April 2017 "Genova Diagnostics" Comprehensive Stool Analysis NEGATIVE; Full Blood Count (Normal) / Blood Cholesterol: 5.6 (Borderline) / Blood Sugar (Normal) / 28 Jun 2017 FSH 8.2 / 14 Nov 2017 FSH 17.7 Dec 2017 Blood Cholesterol: 3.9 (Normal) / Kidney Function (Normal) / Blood Sugar (Normal). December 2017 "Genova Diagnostics" Food panel allergy (bloodwork) analysis - a few "VERY LOW/VL" allergens; Mar 2018 "Genova Diagnostics" SIBO urine analysis: High Level of Yeast/fungal markers found in small intestine but NO SIBO.  April 2018 Thyroid (Normal) / Full Blood Count (Normal) / FSH (Normal). 16 April 2018 Started anti-Candida diet - 3 month protocol.   25 March 2020 All test results "Normal". CRP" 5 mg/L (normal range to 0-5 mg/L).

Symptoms:  Flu-like symptoms, anxiety, anhedonia, sinus headaches right-side (severe), IBS issues/reflux (severe)**, tinnitus, fatigue, inner tremor, nausea, chills/hot flushes, pounding heart, muscular issues including stiff left hip flexor, intense anger, PSSD (ongoing).  **Histhamine intolerance (suspected).

Major Life Events: 

Re-located to UK from Canada: Jan 2016

My father died: 5:05pm, Monday 5 Feb 2018 Last Lexapro dose: 16 April 2018 (its now been over a year since I quit ADs)  Moved house: Friday 23rd February 2018  "Divorced" toxic Mother: Monday 26 March 2018 Starting working again: 19 November 2018  Diagnosed with: 5th August 2021 PTSD/C-PTSD Diagnosed with: March 2022 Interstitial Cystitis (IC)/Painful bladder syndrome

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